With wildfires raging through Northern Arizona and devastating the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, businesses relying on tourist revenue have taken a hit. Canyon Trail Rides, which organizes mule rides through the canyon,

Sen. Mark Kelly says, despite the damage done by the Dragon Bravo Fire, letting some fires burn can be important to reduce risk.

The fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon started from a lightning strike but was managed as a controlled burn until it spread.

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.

Gov. Katie Hobbs questioned why the U.S. government decided to manage the Dragon Bravo fire, which started with a lightning strike, as a “controlled burn” during the height of the summer.

The Grand Canyon Lodge was the park's one and only hotel, according the National Park Service, with the next nearest lodgings roughly 18 miles away.

What fueled the explosive growth of the Dragon Bravo Fire was a mix of gusty winds, dry air and above-normal heat – weather conditions experts described as atypical for this time of year, when monsoonal moisture typically tamps down wildfire risk across Arizona.

A mix of high temperatures, gusty winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation has fuelled the fire's swift advance in Arizona, officials say.