WHITE SAGE, AZ (AZFamily) — The White Sage Fire has burned nearly 59,000 acres in far northern Coconino County, one of two blazes raging at or near the northern rim of the Grand Canyon.
As of July 29, the fire has grown to 59,070 acres with 83% containment. The Arizona Department of Transportation also announced that US 89A has reopened in both directions. The highway has been closed since the fire sparked on July 9.
Firefighters are continuing to make progress along the northern and eastern edges of the fire. Crews are also working to attack any hot spots along the eastern containment line.
Since the blaze sparked several weeks ago, crews have constructed fire lines, secured hot spots and performed mop-up work in the fire’s path. Crews are extinguishing or removing burning material to prevent further spread of the flames.
“Overall we got a bit of moisture,” said Jesse Trembly, deputy operations section chief for the Bureau of Land Management, during an operational update on July 18. “That really, really mellowed things out and knocked down the fire behavior. So we’re feeling really good.”
On July 13, Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs) and Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) dropped 179,597 gallons of fire retardant along the northern and southern perimeters to slow the spread. Officials reported the line held well on the west side of the fire near its point of origin.
Forestry officials say extreme fire behavior pushed the fire southward across Highway 89A near House Rock Valley on that day, making it the most active edge of the incident.
Lightning sparked the White Sage Fire on the evening of July 9, about 15 miles southeast of Fredonia.
Nearby wildfire destroys Grand Canyon lodge
The Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed approximately 70 buildings at the Grand Canyon’s northern rim, including a historic lodge, a water treatment plant, a visitor center and a gas station.
Grand Canyon officials said the wildfire forced it to close visitor access to the North Rim through the end of the season.
Park officials previously evacuated about 500 guests on July 11 before ultimately forcing employees and residents to also leave.
Crews had reported a day earlier that a water treatment plant had caught fire, causing chlorine gas to be released from the facility which prompted health concerns for those who remained on the inner canyon.
All river trips had been instructed to bypass Phantom Ranch, the National Park Service said. North Kaibab Trail, Phantom Ranch, and the South Kaibab Trail remain closed until further notice.
Meanwhile, those living in Marble Canyon, Lees Ferry, and a small area of the Navajo Nation were advised that they could also smell the chlorine.
Evacuation orders and road closures
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said the following areas remain under evacuation:
- North boundary: Utah Border
- East boundary: House Rock Valley Road/Buffalo Ranch Road
- West boundary: Kaibab National Forest Boundary
- South boundary: Grand Canyon National Park
Southbound SR 67 remains closed south of Jacob Lake. US 89A is back open in both directions.
The area around Jacob Lake and Lonesome was also evacuated, but residents have since been allowed to return home. The area was placed in “READY” status on July 24.
“A road closure is not a decision that is made lightly. We recognize the impact of closing off a highway, but keeping our firefighters and the public safe is our highest priority,” the BLM said.
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