A wildfire that destroyed a historic Grand Canyon lodge is continuing to spread out of control after it had been allowed to burn for days.

A wildfire that tore through a historic Grand Canyon Lodge​ had been allowed to burn for days before erupting over the weekend, raising questions about federal officials' decision not to aggressively attack it right away.

The National Park Service is pushing back against members of Congress who accused the agency of allowing the Dragon Bravo Fire to spin out of control on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.

"Though it was definitely not your average vacation trip, everything worked out okay. We made the best of it," Russ Christian said.

The visitor center and a wastewater treatment plant were among the 50 to 80 structures lost, the park superintendent said. The area was evacuated Thursday.

A water treatment facility at the North Rim had been compromised by the fire, causing chlorine gas to fall to the bottom of the Canyon.

A fast-moving wildfire destroyed Grand Canyon Lodge and forced the full closure of the North Rim for the rest of summer 2025. Popular inner-canyon trails and campgrounds, including Phantom Ranch, are also shut down with no reopening date announced.