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Dragon Bravo Fire is now the 10th largest blaze in Arizona history

Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire in the Kaibab National Forest on July 28, 2025.
Inciweb
Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire in the Kaibab National Forest on July 28, 2025.

The Dragon Bravo Fire at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim is now the 10th largest fire in Arizona history, burning more than 105,000 acres as of Thursday morning. And officials say the fire may get much larger.

The fire is most active along its northern edge, and low humidity and high winds continue to hinder suppression efforts, threatening containment lines.

Fire team spokesman James Ray says as the fire burns up the initial dense vegetation of the Kaibab Plateau, he hopes it will become more manageable.

Stephen Pyne, author of "Pyrocene Park: A journey into the Fire History of Yosemite National Park," joined The Show to talk more about what fire crews are facing.

“Now as the fire burns through those fuels it’s going to break out into lighter fuels. Lighter fuels are usually what we call grass and sage, and in those fuels the fire’s a lot easier to pick up and the flame lengths are a lot less high and the rate of spread moderates," Ray said.

But he also says fire fighters are dealing with the worst weather since the start of the fire. A red-flag warning is in effect for the immediate area.

Jill Ryan joined KJZZ in 2020 as a morning reporter, and she is currently a field correspondent and Morning Edition producer.
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