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GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.. - The Dragon Bravo Fire is the largest fire ever recorded in the Grand Canyon.
Crews knew that on August 1, they had a very small window of opportunity to get containment on the fire. At the South Rim, skies are clear, but 11 miles across the Grand Canyon, plumes of black smoke cover the horizon, but it has not slowed down summer tourism.
What we know:
In the fire's fourth week, it continued to grow to the north, east, and west, now threatening the Kaibab Lodge. Crews have faced difficult conditions.
"The north rim of the Grand Canyon is one of the most difficult places to fight fire. If you think about the Grand Canyon as a firebreak, it also funnels winds and creates its own difficult weather," said Lisa Jennings, a public information officer for Southwest Incident Management.
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What they're saying:
The Dragon Bravo Fire has not stopped visitors from coming to one of the United States' busiest national parks.
"We're from Saint Louis, Missouri," said the Sauter family.
"From the Czech Republic," said another tourist.
"Visiting from Virginia," said Jerry Mrykalo.
"From Daejeon, Korea," said Kim Kwang Yu.
"Washington, D.C.," said another.
"From Germany," said Frank Tahhan.
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70 structures have burned, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge at the North Rim, a place German traveler Frank Tahhan and his family had planned to stay.
"We was booked on the North Rim in the lodge. And we get this notice that it's not possible anymore to enter. And the lodge is destroyed," Tahhan said.
Like many others, they opted for the South Rim.
"A mixture of enjoying and also being aware that much of the natural history is being destroyed," Tahhan said.
"We had already planned the South Rim and it's not that crowded. We were a little bit surprised," Mrykalo said.
Video captured by fire personnel shows the power of the wind carrying the flames during July 31's red flag warning, with wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour.
"We saw a jump of 20,000 acres in a single day," Jennings said.