Grand Canyon fire now 54% contained; 144,432 acres burned

By Zachery Schmidt
The Center Square

America’s largest active wildfire is now 54% contained, according to a report on a U.S. government website.

Containment of the Dragon Bravo Fire in Arizona rose from the 44% figure reported on Wednesday on the interagency website InciWeb. The blaze, which is occurring on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, has burned an estimated 144,432 acres.

This fire started on July 4 because of a lightning strike. Currently 1,125 firefighters are battling it.

There is no estimate for when the Grand Canyon National Park fire will be 100% contained, said Mike Johnson, the public information officer for the unified, interagency response.

To contain the fire, firefighters are establishing a line around it, Johnson told The Center Square. He added that firefighters are using heavy equipment to move shrubbery and aircraft to bring water to hotspots.

Putting out a fire of this magnitude and getting it to completely stop “is a really difficult endeavor,” Johnson said.

He noted the size of the Dragon Bravo Fire makes it hard to get to every hotspot, making containment that much more critical.

“ What we’ve really got to do is secure the perimeter,” he explained. “And then wait for nature to take its course, wait for cooling rains to come in, and then keep crews on it for a long time to watch, make sure nothing gets out of there.”

There is a 30% to 50% chance of “wetting rains with lightning and gusty winds” between Thursday and Friday, according to InciWeb.

Johnson said firefighters are excited about the progress they have made, but realize they still face challenging conditions.

Firefighters have made strides in containing this fire compared to earlier in August, when the fire was 123,171 acres and only 13% of it was contained.

According to KTAR News, the Dragon Bravo Fire ranks as the seventh biggest blaze in Arizona’s history.

Even with the massive fire still burning, the Grand Canyon is still open to visitors. Johnson said the South Rim in the national park is accessible. He noted people can still do some hiking while also visiting markets and other businesses.