A wildfire that destroyed a historic Grand Canyon lodge is continuing to spread out of control after it had been allowed to burn for days.

A combination of high winds, dry air and above average temperatures caused a wildfire in the Grand Canyon to rapidly expand and cause major damage.

The senators referenced the 2006 Warm Fire, another lightning-caused fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon that was initially allowed to burn as a wildland use fire. The Warm Fire ultimately destroyed 59,000 acres of land and nearly killed a thousand people.

PHOENIX — Residents on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon have been ordered to evacuate due to a fire in Grand Canyon National Park. The fire, named the Dragon Bravo Fire, is approximately 12,728 acres and has 8% containment. It was caused by lightning on July 4, officials with the National Park Service said.

A wildfire in tinder-dry forest destroyed dozens of buildings, prompting public outrage that it was left to burn for a week before firefighters tried to fully extinguish it.

​The wildfire that destroyed a historic lodge on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this month was the latest blow to the struggling National Park Service after months of staffing and funding cuts under the Trump administration.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. land managers are racing the clock as hotter, drier weather raises the risk of wildfires in the nation’s overgrown forests with each passing year.

Wildfires can burn and spread differently depending on what vegetation they burn. The two fires in northern Arizona have varied landscapes. Ponderosa pine trees grow near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and can live for hundreds of years.