U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, has asked for portions of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim to reopen after the massive Dragon Bravo Fire.
Kelly sent his request to the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service, asking that they both dedicate staff and resources to speed up reopening.
Officials closed the area after the fire exploded, damaging and destroying more than 100 buildings, according to a recent infrastructure assessment. The fire and the closure came at the height of tourism season to the national park.
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The Dragon Bravo Fire burning along Highway 67 near the Grand Canyon on Aug. 1, 2025.
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Night operations on the Dragon Bravo Fire at the Grand Canyon's North Rim on Aug. 3, 2025.
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The Dragon Bravo Fire at the Grand Canyon seen at night with the Milky Way on July 28, 2025.
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The Dragon Bravo Fire on Thursday, July 31, 2025.
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A plume of smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire near the Grand Canyon on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
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Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire in the Kaibab National Forest on July 28, 2025.
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The Dragon Bravo Fire near the Grand Canyon on July 23, 2025.
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A firefighter mops up a fallen tree on the White Sage Fire in northern Arizona on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.
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The Grand Canyon Lodge on July 18, 2025. It was destroyed by the Dragon Bravo Fire earlier in the month.
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Crews fight the White Sage Fire in northern Arizona on Monday, July 21, 2025.
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The Grand Canyon Lodge on July 18, 2025. It was destroyed by the Dragon Bravo Fire earlier in the month.
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The Grand Canyon Lodge on July 18, 2025. It was destroyed by the Dragon Bravo Fire earlier in the month.
Matt Jenkins/National Park Service
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A firefighter works against the White Sage Wildfire in northern Arizona on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
White Sage Fire Information Team
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A rainbow over the White Sage Fire in northern Arizona on Friday, July 18, 2025.
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A firefighter stands near smoldering debris and active flames amid the charred remains of a burned structure near the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim on Sunday, July 13, 2025.
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Crews battle the White Sage Fire in northern Arizona on July 13, 2025.
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A smoke plume rises over the Grand Canyon on July 11, 2025.
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College students who worked at the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim perform a "sing-away" for departing guests.
Grand Canyon National Park Museum Collection
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The Grand Canyon Lodge in 2017.
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The Grand Canyon Lodge in 2019.
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The Grand Canyon Lodge in 2019.
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The Grand Canyon Lodge in 2019.
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The Grand Canyon Lodge in 2019.
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The Grand Canyon Lodge in 2019.
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The Grand Canyon Lodge in 2019.
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The Grand Canyon Lodge was built in 1936-37, according to the National Park Service.
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The Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, pictured here in May 2008.
Michael Quinn/U.S. National Park Service
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Fire crews battle the White Sage Fire about 15 miles southwest of Fredonia, Arizona.
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Fire crews battle the White Sage Fire about 15 miles southwest of Fredonia, Arizona.
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Fire crews battle the White Sage Fire about 15 miles southwest of Fredonia, Arizona.
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Crews battled the White Sage Fire in northern Arizona on Friday, July 11, 2025.
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The White Sage Fire burning near the Grand Canyon on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
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Crews fight the White Sage Fire in northern Arizona on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
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Crews work to contain the White Sage Fire in northern Arizona on Saturday, July 19, 2025.
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Crews focused on suppression repair spread seeds to help minimize erosion — which can hinder regrowth and water absorption — in the area burned by the White Sage Fire.
Sean Mcnearney/White Sage Fire
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The Rio Grande Hand Crew fighting the Dragon Bravo Fire near the Grand Canyon on July 31, 2025.
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Kelly warned that regions like the Navajo Nation and towns like Page and Fredonia are all heavily reliant on tourism tied to the Grand Canyon.
"My office stands ready to support your agency in restoring access to these national treasures as quickly as possible in order to expedite the recovery of the communities whose livelihoods depend on them," he wrote.
Gov. Katie Hobbs is visiting both rims of the park to highlight recovery efforts and emphasize that the South Rim is open for business.
Arizona has also opened a new website serving as an information hub for affected residents.
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Portions of the North Kaibab Trail is set to reopen in early March. The trail remained closed after the Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed parts of the North Rim. -
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The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management is collaborating with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to carry out a month-long pile burn that is expected to span across 12,000 acres. -
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