Acres: 145,504                          Containment: 75%              Personnel:   690              

Start Date: July 4, 2025         Cause: Lightning                   Location: Grand Canyon North Rim

The Department of the Interior’s Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team is continuing its post-fire assessment of the Dragon Bravo Fire, focusing on ground-truthing the Soil Burn Severity (SBS) map and evaluating impacts across three key areas: natural and cultural resources, infrastructure and built environment, and recreation resources. The initial soil burn severity map classifies the Grand Canyon National Park portion of the Dragon Bravo Fire burn area into the following categories:
High Severity 1% - Moderate Severity 24% - Low Severity 68% - Very Low to Unburned 7%

Current Situation: Throughout the Dragon Bravo Fire yesterday, the fire settled into a subdued rhythm, with minimal activity and mostly confined to slow, smoldering pockets within the larger dead and downed fuels. The morning greeted crews with clear, sunlit skies, but by midday clouds rolled in, casting soft shadows across the landscape. These clouds acted like a natural blanket, keeping fuel temperatures low and preventing the finer fuels from drying enough to sustain active flames. As temperatures begin to climb and relative humidity dips over the coming days, a modest uptick in fire behavior is anticipated. An increase in smoldering and smoke production is expected as the smaller fuel classes—twigs, grasses, and leaf litter—gradually lose moisture and become more receptive to ignition. This increase should remain minor, especially with monsoonal moisture forecasted to return later in the week, bringing a welcome dampness to the region.
North and south suppression groups continue to mop up, patrol and seek out any remaining hotspots, while unneeded equipment is backhauled off the fire line as tasks are completed. In areas where standing dead trees—known as snags—pose a heightened risk, heavy machinery is stepping in as the unsung hero. These zones, dense with unstable timber, can be dangerous for crews working on the ground. By bringing in specialized equipment, teams are reducing the risk of falling tree hazards and creating a safer environment for everyone. This proactive approach not only protects our firefighters but also streamlines the critical work of suppression repair. Chipping operations will continue to follow behind these hazard tree operations to remove the remaining slash materials.

Weather: Mostly sunny and dry conditions will continue through the remainder of the weekend and into the first half of next week. Winds will continue to be terrain driven with the highest upslope winds expected to be across the House Rock Valley with gusts up to 25 mph possible during the mid-afternoon through early evening. The period of dry weather will be short-lived as monsoon moisture will start to work its way back into the region by mid-week.
Forest Closures & Restrictions: Information regarding the highway closures can be found at azdot.gov/projects/current-road-restrictions. For detailed information about Kaibab National Forest closures and restrictions visit: fs.usda.gov/r03/kaibab. The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will remain closed for the duration of the 2025 season.