Community News

News Release: Forest Service reopens more lands near Dragon Bravo Fire

September 17, 2025

Fredonia, Arizona, September 10, 2025 — Starting Thursday, September 11, 2025, the public will have access to another 96,000 acres of national forest lands on the North Kaibab Ranger District as the Forest Service further reduces the White Sage & Dragon Bravo Fires Temporary Closure. Crews on the Dragon Bravo Fire continue to make significant progress on suppression repair work, enabling the Forest Service to reopen more areas without compromising public safety or fire operations. Approximately 82% of the North Kaibab Ranger District will be open to the public.

The following lists identify some of the more familiar roads and areas. 

Areas remaining closed:
• Most of House Rock Valley, Saddle Mountain Wilderness, and lands east of Highway 67 and south of Forest Roads 241 and 213
• The southern portion of Forest Road 220
• The area around the Dragon Bravo Incident Command Post (ICP) west of Highway 67
• Sites that are currently being used as staging areas for material and equipment
o The Orderville gravel pit
o The Forest Road 257/Highway 89A material storage location
o The Forest Road 765M gravel pit
o The snowmobile play area
o DeMotte Campground
• All or portions of Forest Roads 279A, 636,247, 248, 248A, 249, 249B and 9027, which were heavily impacted by the White Sage Fire.

Open roads, trails, and areas include:
• Forest roads that comprise the closure area boundaries, except a portion of Forest Road 220.
• All national forest lands west of Highway 67, except the ICP and staging areas
• Forest Road 22
• Timp, Locust, and Parissawampitts points, Crazy Jug, Bill Hall
• The Rainbow Rim Trail
• Mason Well
• Telephone Hill
• Big Springs Cabins
• Kaibab Lodge and North Rim Country Store Developed Area
• Highway 67 from Jacob Lake to the southern Kaibab National Forest boundary (per ADOT)
• Jacob Lake Developed Area (Jacob Lake Inn, Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center, Jacob Lake campgrounds and picnic area, and Kaibab Camper Village)

Visitors are urged to use caution in the reopened areas. Some hazards such as dead standing trees still exist, and flooding is possible even in areas that were not directly affected by the fire. Some of the area is still being used by crews and equipment.

Although some longer-term closures are likely, as suppression repair operations progress, the Forest Service will continue looking for opportunities to restore public access.