Wildfires destroy historic Grand Canyon lodge

What happened

The White Sage and Dragon Bravo wildfires in Arizona have together burnt more than 40,000 acres and destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. Up to 80 other structures in the Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim, including a water treatment facility, have also been lost. No injuries are reported.

The lodge, built in 1937, was a National Historic Landmark. It was also "the only hotel located inside the national park at the North Rim," The Arizona Republic said.

Who said what

It's "devastating" to see "one of Arizona's most cherished landmarks" destroyed, said the state's Democratic governor, Katie Hobbs. The fires are "another tragic reminder why we must keep investing in wildfire resilience at the federal and state levels," Arizona Rep. Greg Stanton, a Democrat, said on X. "Failed Biden administration practices" have "led to too many of these conflagrations," Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh said in a post on X.

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What next?

More hot, dry and windy weather is forecast for the area and will likely keep firefighters busy. Gov. Hobbs called for "a comprehensive and independent investigation" into the federal government's emergency response to the blazes.