White Sage and Dragon Bravo fires
The 2025 White Sage and Dragon Bravo fires affected nearly 205,500 acres of public lands, the majority of which was on the North Kaibab Ranger District. Find current closure information on our Alerts page or by clicking the Alerts and Fire Danger drop-down above, and learn more about these fires below.
White Sage Fire
The wind-driven White Sage Fire moved quickly through the North Kaibab Ranger District.
(BLM / Travis Legler)The White Sage Fire was started by lightning on July 9, 2025, near the community of White Sage approximately 15 miles southeast of Fredonia, Arizona, on the Bureau of Land Management’s Arizona Strip District. The wind-driven fire quickly grew onto the North Kaibab Ranger District despite the efforts of wildland firefighters who were able to respond a short time after the fire was first detected.
Driven by hot, dry, windy weather, the fire quickly grew and crossed onto the North Kaibab Ranger District by July 10. Command of the fire transferred command to the Color Country Team 2 Incident Management Team July 10 and was transferred on July 13 to Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 6.
The White Sage Fire reached 100% containment on Friday, September 12th, 2025.
Total Acres: 58,985
A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team was ordered on August 1st, 2025, and conducted surveys and collected data in the burned area and submitted a report detailing appropriate emergency stabilization recommendations of areas deemed to have unacceptable risks.
Dragon Bravo Fire
Smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire illuminated by the setting sun along Highway 67 on the North Kaibab Ranger District near the entrance station to Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim.
(USDA FS)The Dragon Bravo Fire started early in the afternoon on Friday July 4th, 2025, by lightning on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park. Suppression resources responded immediately. Firefighters constructed containment lines taking advantage of favorable terrain where possible to stop the fire spread.
On Friday July 11th, 2025, the Dragon Bravo Fire was affected by strong and unfavorable northwest winds associated with a passing weather front. Consequently, the Dragon Bravo Fire exhibited extreme fire behavior and jumped multiple containment features. In the following days fire behavior continued to be very active, driven by hot temperatures, low relative humidities, and continued strong winds. Facilities in the North Rim developed area were impacted during this time and damage assessments are ongoing. The fire moved onto the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest on July 23.
On Saturday, July 12th, 2025, Northern Arizona Team 3 Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed command of the follow, followed by Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 4 on July 14th, Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 2 on July 28th, Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 7 on August 11th, California Interagency Incident Management Team 9 on August 24th, Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 3 on September 6th, and Wyoming Team 6 Type 3 Incident Management Team on September 22nd.
The Dragon Bravo Fire reached 100% containment on Sunday, September 28th, 2025.
Total acreage: 145,504
Dragon Bravo Fire Inciweb Page
Two Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Teams - one for Forest Service (Department of Agriculture) lands and the other for National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management (Department of the Interior) lands - were ordered and conducted surveys and collected data in the burned area and submitted reports detailing appropriate emergency stabilization recommendations of areas deemed to have unacceptable risks.
Dragon Bravo Fire USFS BAER Inciweb Page
Information on the Dragon Bravo Fire within Grand Canyon National Park can be found at:
Grand Canyon National Park - Status of the North Rim
Firewood gathering in the Dragon Bravo Vicinity
In areas not identified as closed, fuelwood permit holders may collect the large-diameter, short length rounds and other wood stacked along roads. Beginning October 1, permit holders may also collect the firewood at the Snowmobile Play Area (NFSR 1050) and NFSR 257 / Hwy 89A storage locations.
- 3.2 miles east of Jacob Lake on Hwy 89a (intersection of FR257). Location pin: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GzRoY3vaumFzATpS9
- Forest Service Road 1050, west of Hwy 67, known as snowmobile play area (behind Kaibab Lodge). Location pin: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fjbYVc3kfdKnRpkb7
At the Snowmobile Play Area, the large pile of slash and debris is slated for burning in the winter and is off limits to firewood collectors. The branches and small-diameter trees scattered across the forest floor are meant to help with erosion control and should be left in place. The log decks at the closed staging areas are slated for commercial sales to help support the local economy and timber industry and are not available to the general public.
After the Fire - Suppression Repair and Recovery
Suppression repair work is critical in the post-fire environment, repairing bulldozer and hand lines created to contain a fire to allow the ecosystem to recover and limit erosion and flooding potential.
(GBCIMT7)Fighting fire isn't as simple as putting water on flames. Where possible and safe to do so, fire managers often plan to use pre-existing features as containment lines, taking advantage of features like roads, rivers, or terrain features devoid of fire fuels (meadows, rocky areas, ponds, lakes, etc.) to limit the fires' spread. Where those features don't exist, hand crews and bulldozers cut containment lines.
The process of restoring land and resources to as close to their pre-fire condition after a wildfire is called suppression repair, which focuses on minimizing erosion and other damage caused by firefighting activities. Bulldozer lines, hand lines, temporary roads and staging areas are repaired by hand crews and heavy equipment by installing water bars, removing or emplacing debris, and repairing infrastructure, such as repairing or replacing culverts.
Specialized forestry equipment, such as this line of harvesters, have been a crucial part of the rapid suppression repair work being done on the Dragon Bravo Fire.
(Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 3)During a fire, trees and other vegetation are often cut to remove fire fuels along containment lines, providing a gap to slow or stop a fire's progression. Trees can also be removed for the safe passage of firefighters and support personnel, both as protection from trees falling on personnel and equipment as well as from trees falling and blocking escape routes.
During the suppression repair stage of a fire, trees are closely examined around roads, trails, campgrounds, buildings, and other locations where there is a high probability of public and employee use. Fire-weakened trees are identified and removed, sometimes requiring specialized forestry equipment where removal is difficult. On the Dragon Bravo Fire, numerous pieces of specialized forestry equipment was used to removal the thousands of fire-damaged trees for public safety in as safe a manner as possible.
These pieces of specialized forestry equipment are typically contracted in from the private sector, where the equipment is most often used and professionals with the expertise to use the equipment can support the fire recovery effort.
"The Dragon Bravo Fire left our business, Reidhead Forest Management, on the verge of shutting down. As the last sawmill in this region and the largest employer in Fredonia, the fire threatened not only our company but the stability of our town. Through the work of the Dragon Bravo fire management crews, we were given the opportunity to bring our equipment onto the fire and continue operations. Their commitment to engaging local businesses provided critical support to us and to an economy devastated by the fire. Beyond firefighting, their crews have worked tirelessly to remove hazard trees, reopen roads and trails, and restore access to our forests. Their efforts have allowed our sawmill to remain open, kept people employed, and helped keep Fredonia moving forward. We are deeply grateful for their dedication to protecting lives, land, and livelihoods." - Duke Reidhead, Reidhead Forest Management, Fredonia, AZ
Cut trees from the Dragon Bravo Fire being decked outside the burned area.
(USDA FS / Matt Switzer)On small fires, cut trees may often be left in place to allow the natural process of decomposition to occur and support wildlife habitat. On large fires which occur in heavily forested areas, such as the Dragon Bravo Fire, the scale of fire-damaged trees can be immense, and leaving cut trees in place would only add to the fire fuels of the forest and potentially contribute to a future devastating fire.
Trees from the Dragon Bravo Fire removed along roads and trails, from near buildings, campgrounds and parking lots, and along power line corridors, are being collected and decked in staging areas where they can be used at mills, allowing the wood to benefit local businesses and economies rather than becoming future fire fuels.