The Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has grown to more than 140,000 acres, with firefighters anticipating a short reprieve from extreme fire weather, state and federal officials said.
As of Aug. 9, the blaze was mapped at 141,147 acres and was 36% contained, according to the Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 2 on InciWeb, the federal wildfire tracking site.
The growth made the Dragon Bravo Fire the seventh largest wildfire in Arizona history and the largest fire currently burning in the United States, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Despite wind gusts of up to 52 mph the previous day intensifying the blaze, crews were able to maintain containment lines along most of its perimeter, the team said.
Firefighters remain in “full suppression” mode, with crews on the northern flank working to prevent the fire from reaching dense fuel sources to the east, according to the team.
Nearby structure protection was also underway, according to the team.
The fire was already responsible for the destruction of about 100 properties within the Grand Canyon National Park, according to the National Park Service.
Among the lost structures was the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, which burned overnight after it caught on fire July 12.
The nearby Kaibab Lodge and Jacob Lake Inn had previously been threatened, but were still standing thanks to ongoing firefighting efforts.
Crews worked on containment lines from Kaibab Lodge to Crystal Canyon and reinforced lines on the Walhalla Plateau, the team said.
Fire command planned to review strategies for managing the blaze’s spread through the Kwagunt drainage. Winds were expected to ease over the weekend, but dry conditions would continue to challenge firefighters into the workweek.
The progression of the Dragon Bravo Fire is seen in an Aug. 9, 2025, map provided by the Southwest Complex Incident Management Team.
With containment improving, most areas in the northern Kaibab Ranger District have reopened, officials said. Areas north of U.S. Route 89A are now open, while most areas south of the highway remain closed.
Wildfire effects: Sen. Mark Kelly: Dragon Bravo devastates North Rim, but South Rim open for business
Rey Covarrubias Jr. reports breaking news for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at rcovarrubias@gannett.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Dragon Bravo Fire now part of history with over 140,000 acres burned