See how fire along Grand Canyon's North Rim grew
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The building was surrounded by vegetation on fire when a team of "helitack" firefighters arrived to protect the area on Tuesday. Grand Canyon National Park officials said the crews knew if the pump house fell, the consequences could cripple park operations for months.
Wildfires burning at or near the Grand Canyon's North Rim are still raging as strong winds, high heat and low humidity persist.
U.S. land managers have long known that they have a problem on their hands with overgrown forests and persistent drought.
The Dragon Bravo Fire started on July 4 and was managed at first as a controlled burn. Then the wind picked up, and it quickly became uncontrollable.
The Grand Canyon Lodge, which burned in the Dragon Bravo Fire over the weekend of July 12-13, was on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.