More than a month after it started on July 4, a wildfire continues to ravage Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. With 54,239 hectares already burned – an area of 542 square kilometers – "Dragon Bravo Fire" was classified as a megafire on August 1, a non-scientific term for wildfires covering more than 400 square kilometers, or about half the area of New York City.

Dragon Bravo Fire is the largest of the approximately 40 major blazes currently active in the United States. According to the National Park Service, it has destroyed 70 structures, including the Grand Canyon Lodge − a hotel that dates back to 1928 − as well as the North Rim Visitor Center. That side of the canyon, known as the North Rim, has been declared closed to visitors for the rest of the season. On August 6, the fire was only 13% contained, but the roughly 1,340 firefighters on the ground made progress despite the wind and temperatures reaching 40°C. By August 8, emergency officials reported that the blaze was 36% contained.

The South Rim of the canyon, which is on average 16 kilometers away (340 kilometers by road), remains accessible to visitors. As the wind carries the smoke to the opposite side, tourists are able to observe the pyrocumulonimbus clouds that have formed since early August in the skies above this arid region bordering Utah and the territories of the Navajo and Havasupai tribes. The descent to the Colorado River 1,800 meters below, however, is closed to visitors due to smoke accumulation.

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