Wildfire threatens Grand Canyon's North Rim
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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.
U.S. land managers have long known that they have a problem on their hands with overgrown forests and persistent drought.
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.
A wildfire that tore through a historic Grand Canyon Lodge had been allowed to burn for days before erupting over the weekend, raising questions about federal officials' decision not to aggressively attack it right away.
4don MSN
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 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 Dragon Bravo Fire in Arizona has destroyed dozens of structures and a water treatment facility on the Grand Canyon's North Rim.
A water treatment facility at the North Rim had been compromised by the fire, causing chlorine gas to fall to the bottom of the Canyon.