GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Arizona – A fast-moving wildfire has destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the park’s remote North Rim, a devastating blow that has erased a beloved landmark and forced the indefinite closure of the area for the remainder of the 2025 season.

The blaze, dubbed the "Kaibab Plateau Fire," overwhelmed firefighting efforts late Monday, consuming the main lodge building and dozens of surrounding cabins and support structures. National Park Service (NPS) officials confirmed the total loss of the lodge complex in a statement released Tuesday morning, calling it a "tragic and significant loss for the park and for generations of visitors."

All park staff and the few remaining visitors had been evacuated from the North Rim last week as a precautionary measure due to escalating fire danger in the region. There have been no reported injuries.

A Landmark Engulfed

The fire started over the weekend from a suspected lightning strike on the Kaibab Plateau, north of the canyon itself. Fanned by erratic winds and fueled by exceptionally dry conditions, it spread rapidly toward the developed area of the North Rim.

"Crews were in place and actively engaged in structure protection," said Fire Information Officer Brenda Bowman in a press briefing. "But the fire behavior was extreme. The combination of high winds, low humidity, and dry fuel created conditions that were simply impossible to stop safely."

By Monday evening, air and ground crews were forced to pull back as the fire crowned through the Ponderosa pine forest and descended upon the lodge. The main building, constructed primarily of native Kaibab limestone and heavy timber, was fully engulfed by nightfall.

A Legacy Twice Lost to Flames

For the Grand Canyon Lodge, this is a tragic echo of its own history. The original lodge, designed by the famed park architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, was built in the 1920s but burned to the ground in a 1932 fire that started in the kitchen.

The structure was painstakingly rebuilt in 1937, retaining Underwood’s signature rustic style and incorporating some of the original stone foundations and chimneys that survived the first blaze. For nearly 90 years, it has stood as the only hotel accommodation within the park on the less-visited North Rim, offering spectacular views from its expansive sunroom and verandas.

"It wasn't just a building; it was the heart of the North Rim experience," said a spokesperson for the Grand Canyon Conservancy, the park's official non-profit partner. "Generations of families made memories there. To lose it again feels unthinkable."

Impact on Park and Tourism

The destruction of the lodge and the subsequent closure of the North Rim represent a major blow to regional tourism. While the North Rim receives only about 10% of the Grand Canyon's annual visitors, it offers a quieter, more rustic experience cherished by many. The lodge was central to that experience.

The NPS has confirmed that all roads leading to the North Rim are closed to the public, and all reservations for the lodge and the North Rim Campground have been canceled for the rest of the year.

Officials have not yet commented on the possibility of rebuilding the lodge for a third time. The immediate focus remains on containing the Kaibab Plateau Fire, which is still active and threatening other parts of the forest. The park’s popular South Rim remains open and is not currently threatened by the fire.

As smoke continues to hang heavy over one of the world's most iconic landscapes, park officials and visitors are left to mourn the loss of a historic treasure and face an uncertain future for this cherished corner of the Grand Canyon.