North Rim Wildfire Experiences Modest Containment Amid Challenging Conditions
As the Dragon Bravo Fire continues to rage across the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, it has now engulfed close to 112,000 acres with containment efforts reaching just 8%. Despite these daunting figures, fire officials are cautiously optimistic that the forecasted weather, which includes increased cloud cover and isolated thunderstorms, could offer a reprieve.
Fire management teams are seizing the opportunity to leverage the improved weather conditions and heightened humidity levels, aiming to intensify their efforts against what is currently one of the nation’s largest wildfires.
Lisa Jennings, representing the Complex Incident Management team, emphasizes the ongoing challenges, noting, “A good fire weather day for the Dragon Bravo fire is a bad fire weather day for every other fire. So, we have to keep that in perspective. Conditions are a lot better than they have been, but they’re still historically dry.”
The fire has predominantly expanded northward, yet concerns remain on its southwest front. Crews are diligently working to strengthen defenses in hopes of preventing the fire from advancing into Bright Angel Canyon.
Jennings adds, “We’ve already had several water drops and are working through some retardant drops in that area to keep it in check as our firefighters come directly on that fire line and work to install containment lines.”
Efforts to backburn and clear potential fuel sources around structures on the North Rim were conducted successfully during a period of reduced fire activity last night.
The firefighting force has grown to nearly 1,200 personnel, all striving to bring the blaze under control.
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