Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs wants an independent federal investigation on the handling of the Dragon Bravo wildfire, which has burned more than 5,700 acres as of Monday.
The fire began with a Fourth of July lightning strike and has devastated the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Hobbs said in a statement on Sunday that she wants answers from the federal government about why it was initially managed as a controlled burn instead of being treated by an aggressive firefighting strategy.
The Dragon Bravo Fire at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim is now the seventh largest fire in Arizona history, burning more than 130,000 acres.
“This is a devastating loss and Arizonans deserve answers and, and I think we need to ensure that we’re holding the administration accountable to addressing these concerns once the fire is managed,” Hobbs said on Monday.
The governor noted she’s heard a lot of speculation about how federal Department of Government Efficiency cuts to national parks and other agencies could’ve affected the severity of the fire or the effectiveness of the response, but said she doesn’t want to speculate — but she did emphasize the need for federal functions and resources.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes did raise the possibility of federal cuts exacerbating the fire damage.
“I have to wonder whether some of the cuts to the Forest Service or to the National Park Service or to our hotshot crews, that we have been trying to prevent through our lawsuits, played into this,” Mayes, a Democrat, said Monday. She said those are some of the questions she’d like answered.
For now, Hobbs said her priority is containing the fire. Then, moving forward, she said she wants to find out if there were any missteps in managing the fire they can identify in order to avoid making those mistakes in the future.
“Arizona is at increased risk for these wildfires and intensity, and we’re at the mercy of the federal government who made these decisions that now have hugely impacted Arizonans. I mean, the North Rim is going to be closed for a long time. This affects our economy, jobs, tourism, people who come into the area and don't just visit the Grand Canyon but also visit other surrounding areas,” Hobbs said.
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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.
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A firefighter works against the White Sage Wildfire in northern Arizona on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
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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.
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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.
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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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Next week, she’s meeting with Department of the Interior officials in Washington, D.C., to discuss the fire. So far, Hobbs said she’s received some pushback from the department.
Arizona Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly have echoed her call for a federal investigation.
“There are many questions over the initial decision to treat this fire as a controlled burn and subsequent decisions on how to respond. The North Rim has had weeks of extreme heat warnings, and is coming off of an extremely dry winter. … We are concerned that treatment and response decisions may have affected the spread of fire in northern Arizona, and not for the first time,” Kelly and Gallego said in a joint statement.
Kelly and Gallego asked the department to respond to a series of questions, including how the department plans to prevent similar fires in the future, and what resources have been deployed.
