A wildfire that destroyed historic Grand Canyon Lodge spread after being allowed to burn for days

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — A wildfire that tore through a historic Grand Canyon lodge and raged out of control Monday had been allowed to burn for days before erupting over the weekend, raising scrutiny over the National Park Service’s decision not to aggressively attack the fire right away.

The wildfire along the canyon's more isolated North Rim, where most visitors don't venture, was burning quickly with no containment, fire officials said. No injuries had been reported, but more than 70 structures were lost, including a visitors center and several cabins.

At first, the fire didn’t raise alarms after igniting from a lightning strike on July 4. Four days later, the Park Service said the fire was being allowed to burn to benefit the land and fire crews were keeping close watch.

“There are no threats to infrastructure or public safety at this time,” the park said on Facebook.

Then three days later, on Friday, fire officials and the park service sent out warnings to “evacuate immediately” as the fire grew by nearly eight times within a day to more than 1.4 square miles (3.6 square kilometers).

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs called for a federal investigation into the park service’s handling of the fire.

“The federal government chose to manage that fire as a controlled burn during the driest, hottest part of the Arizona summer," the governor said in a social media post Sunday.

She will be meeting with leadership in the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior soon to learn more about the decisions made in managing the wildfire, Hobbs' spokesperson Christian Slater said in an email.

Authorities first used a “confine and contain” strategy but shifted to aggressive suppression as the fire — one of two that firefighters are dealing with on the North Rim — rapidly grew because of hot temperatures, low humidity and strong wind gusts, fire officials said.

The Associated Press left phone and email messages Monday with a park service spokesperson seeking comment about how the fire was managed.

The fire destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park’s North Rim, along with employee housing and a wastewater treatment plant, park Superintendent Ed Keable said Sunday.

Park officials have closed access for the rest of the year to the North Rim, a less popular area that draws only about 10% of the Grand Canyon’s millions of annual visitors.

Hikers in the area were evacuated and rafters on the Colorado River, which snakes through the canyon, were told to bypass Phantom Ranch, an outpost of cabins and dormitories. Trails to the area from the canyon’s North and South rims also were closed.

From the air, plumes of black smoke could be seen rising above the canyon walls and haze filled parts of the park. From the park’s South Rim, visitors took pictures on Monday of the smoke blanketing the canyon in the distance.

The fire flared up Saturday night, fueled by high winds. Firefighters managed to make progress, using aerial fire retardant drops near the lodge before they had to pull back because of a chlorine gas leak at the water treatment plant, the park service said.

Hikers also were evacuated over concern that the poisonous, heavier-than-air gas could sink downhill, into the canyon.

U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego sent a letter Monday to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum asking among other things how the administration planned to track wildfire decision-making under a recent executive order to consolidate federal firefighting forces into a single program.

Across the West, about three dozen fires were burning uncontained and another 80 fires were being managed to clear out vegetation that has clogged the landscape, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

So far this year, nearly 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) have burned. That’s slightly below the 10-year average, the center said Monday.

A wildfire burning in southwestern Colorado closed Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and forced evacuations nearby. It had burned about 5.7 square miles (14.8 square kilometers) as of Monday. The fire was started by lightning Thursday on the park's south rim, a dramatic, deep gorge carved by the Gunnison River.

Fire officials said the brush and trees were very dry and there was only a minimal chance for rain in the coming days. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a disaster declaration because of the fire and others in western Colorado.

Along the Grand Canyon's North Rim, the Dragon Bravo Fire that destroyed the lodge and other buildings spread to nearly 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) Monday.

The White Sage Fire also grew significantly over the past day, now having charred 77 square miles (199 square kilometers) of terrain with no containment. Officials reported progress in battling the fire.

The fires came three years after two errant prescribed fires conducted by the U.S. Forest Service sparked the Hermit’s Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, which burned more than 530 square miles (1,373 square kilometers) of the Rocky Mountain foothills and destroyed hundreds of homes.

The Grand Canyon Lodge, known for its huge ponderosa beams, massive limestone facade and a bronze statue of a donkey named “Brighty the Burro,” was perched on the edge of the North Rim and offered sweeping views of the canyon.

“It was like you’re looking at this movie all the time,” said Erik Ammerlann, who lived in Arizona for most of his adult life and stayed at the lodge nearly 10 years ago. “You’re really just one with nature.”

Caren Carney was staying there last week with her husband, parents and 12-year-old son when a park ranger knocked on their door Thursday and told them to evacuate.

She was heartbroken Sunday to hear that such a “magical place” had burned down. After evacuating, the family from Georgia went to the South Rim and could see the blaze across the canyon.

“I’m so glad we got to have one final look at it in the present before it was lost,” Carney said.

Aramark, the company that operated the lodge, said all employees and guests were safely evacuated.

An original lodge burned down from a kitchen fire in 1932, four years after construction was completed, according to the Grand Canyon Historical Society. The redesigned lodge using the original stonework opened in 1937.

Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press reporters Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona; Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles; Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Christopher Keller and Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Colleen Slevin in Denver; and Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The inside of the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona is seen on July 12, 2021. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

The historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona is seen on July 12, 2021. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

This undated photo provided by the National Park Service shows Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Ariz. (Michael Quinn/National Park Service via AP)

This photo provided by National Park Service shows the charred remains of a building at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. (National Park Service via AP)

This photo provided by National Park Service shows the charred remains of a building at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. (National Park Service via AP)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The inside of the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona is seen on July 12, 2021. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

The historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona is seen on July 12, 2021. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

This undated photo provided by the National Park Service shows Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Ariz. (Michael Quinn/National Park Service via AP)

This photo provided by National Park Service shows the charred remains of a building at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. (National Park Service via AP)

This photo provided by National Park Service shows the charred remains of a building at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. (National Park Service via AP)

Wildfire smoke that traveled into Page, Arizona, obscures the view of Vermillion Cliffs in the distance on Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Bob Hembree)

The setting sun peeks through the smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire as it moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim as two tourists take in the scene from a South Rim overlook Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The inside of the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona is seen on July 12, 2021. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

The historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona is seen on July 12, 2021. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

This undated photo provided by the National Park Service shows Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Ariz. (Michael Quinn/National Park Service via AP)

This photo provided by National Park Service shows the charred remains of a building at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. (National Park Service via AP)

This photo provided by National Park Service shows the charred remains of a building at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. (National Park Service via AP)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

A tourist takes in the morning sunrise from the South Rim as smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves down the Grand Canyon from the North Rim Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

A tourist watches from a South Rim overlook as the early morning smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves across the Grand Canyon from the North Rim Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Wildfire smoke that traveled into Page, Arizona, obscures the view of Vermillion Cliffs in the distance on Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Bob Hembree)

The setting sun peeks through the smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire as it moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim as two tourists take in the scene from a South Rim overlook Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire moves over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The inside of the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona is seen on July 12, 2021. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

The historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona is seen on July 12, 2021. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

This undated photo provided by the National Park Service shows Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Ariz. (Michael Quinn/National Park Service via AP)

This photo provided by National Park Service shows the charred remains of a building at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. (National Park Service via AP)

This photo provided by National Park Service shows the charred remains of a building at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. (National Park Service via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)