UPDATE | Dragon Bravo Fire Size Jumps Again; Crews Face Daunting Challenges On Grand Canyon's North Rim

Editor's note: This updates with the latest size and containment numbers.

The mapped area of the Dragon Bravo fire jumped in size Wednesday morning as firefighters continued to lose ground against the massive blaze burning on the Grand Canyon's North Rim.

The fire is now estimated to have burned more than 94,000 acres of land, or about 145 square miles. That was up from about 110 square miles Tuesday morning. Containment dropped from 9 percent Tuesday to 4 percent Wednesday. 

It was the third day in a row that firefighters lost ground to blaze, as crews battling the fire face a daunting set of challenges including the region's driest conditions in more than 60 years, the Grand Canyon's unique topography, and the dense forest of the Kaibab Plateau.

"It's drier than has ever been recorded for the Grand Canyon for the month of July," Lisa Jennings, a public information officer for the Southwest Area Incident Management Team, said in a phone call Tuesday.

Dryness measurements are based on relative humidity, and records in the region date back to 1961. The bone-dry atmosphere, combined with winds, can create erratic fire behavior.

“The winds are funneled by these canyons or valleys that come off the main Grand Canyon," Jennings said.

Increased winds and continued dry conditions were expected Wednesday.

Monday morning, the fire was estimated at about 55,000 acres, or about 86 square miles. But a fire official warned in an evening briefing that the number was actually "probably quite a bit higher."

Fire containment, meanwhile, dropped from 13 percent Monday to 9 percent Tuesday.

The fire itself is making it harder for crews to measure its size. Normally, they would take advantage of less smoke after dark and use infrared flights to map the flames.

“Typically fires kind of lay down at night, it’s how we describe it," Jennings said. "In the evenings the relative humidity goes up and that decreases fire behavior.”

But that's not happening with the Dragon Bravo fire.

“It has been so smoky and so active that we have not had a window where we can fly that infrared flight," Jennings said.

The fire was also burning through an area of the Kaibab National Forest where the tree canopy is so thick that water drops from the dozen aircraft on site barely make it through to the fire below, she said. As a result, firefighters are using a different technique that involves trying to steer the fire into areas with less dense vegetation.

“So we’ve had to adapt our strategies with this really extreme, unique fire behavior that we’re seeing," Jennings said.

Arizona's usual monsoon rains have yet to kick in, and hot, windy weather was expected to continue.

"In order to break this dry trend, we're really going to need some precipitation to fall over and around the fire," incident meteorologist Shawn Smith said in the Monday night briefing.

There is a chance of rain later in the week, but Jennings said it's not expected to be enough to make much difference. Plus, storms could also bring more winds and the potential for lightning, which is what sparked the fire on July 4.

By Tuesday's estimate, the Dragon Fire stretched about 20 miles north from the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Visitors looking across from the South Rim had a view of the fire 10 miles wide.

The North Rim within the national park, where the fire destroyed the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge and several other historic buildings, will remain closed for the rest of the 2025 season. While U.S. Route 89A has reopened, Grand Canyon Highway (state Route 67) remains closed. Kaibab Camper Village and Jacob Lake Inn and gas station are now accessible. The rest of the forest, including the Jacob Lake Campground, remains closed.

South Kaibab Trail, Phantom Ranch, and North Kaibab Trail are closed until further notice.