In the wake of the Dragon Bravo Fire, which has scorched nearly 13,000 acres near the Grand Canyon, Arizona’s Governor Katie Hobbs has embarked on a mission to Washington, D.C., to discuss wildfire management with federal authorities. The fire continues to rage, with containment efforts reaching only 8% as of Monday.
Governor Hobbs is scheduled to converse with Interior Secretary Doug Bergum and officials from the Forest Service. Her agenda includes discussing the controversial management of the wildfire, particularly after the Grand Canyon Lodge was lost to the flames. Hobbs had previously urged an investigation into federal firefighting strategies, questioning the initial decision to treat the blaze as a controlled burn.
During her visit to the Dragon Bravo site, Governor Hobbs refrained from critiquing the current firefighting efforts. “I am not second guessing,” she stated over the weekend. “I think we need to look at, after we get this fire managed, what went into the decision making and, if there were missteps, how we learn from that.” She emphasized the importance of using insights from the field to enhance future collaboration.
Hobbs also underscored the urgency of controlling the fire to reopen the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, a key tourist attraction. “There’s going to be some business disruption,” she acknowledged. “We want to make sure those folks are back in business as quickly as possible.”
Governor Hobbs will remain in the nation’s capital until Thursday, continuing her advocacy for improved wildfire prevention and response strategies.
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