Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire at the Grand Canyon on July 28.
Photographer: Jon Gambrell/AP Photo
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With everything that’s happened this year, you could easily have missed that the Grand Canyon was on fire. But let’s start there: The Grand Canyon was on fire for close to three months this summer.
Michele Vaught, a ranger who keeps watch over backpackers in the park, recalls looking across the canyon in horror in July as the Dragon Bravo Fire raged over thousands of acres on the North Rim, blanketing it in smoke. Flames spilled down the red rock walls, lapping over cliffs and buttes she never imagined could burn. Fueled by dry heat and intense winds, the fire destroyed more than 100 buildings, including housing for park workers and a historic lodge, and filled the canyon with toxic smoke that forced widespread trail closures.