Arizona’s Dragon Bravo Fire Grows to 105,000 Acres, Threatening Communities

PHOENIX, Arizona — The Dragon Bravo Fire has scorched over 105,000 acres north of the Grand Canyon as of Thursday, prompting mandatory evacuations and threatening nearby communities.

The fire, which is only 4% contained, has led the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office to issue “GO” evacuation orders for the North Rim area. Residents around Jacob Lake were briefly placed on a “READY” evacuation status on July 23.

On July 19, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs visited the affected areas to assess the damage and meet with officials handling the firefighting efforts. This blaze is now among the largest wildfires in Arizona history.

According to fire authorities, as the flames spread, officials are increasingly concerned about the risk to life and property. The Dragon Bravo Fire has joined a list of significant Arizona wildfires by acreage burned:

1. Wallow Fire – 2011 (522,000+ acres)

2. Rodeo-Chediski Fire – 2002 (468,000+ acres)

3. Cave Creek Complex – 2005 (243,000+ acres)

4. Horseshoe 2 Fire – 2011 (222,000+ acres)

5. Bush Fire – 2020 (193,000+ acres)

6. Telegraph Fire – 2021 (180,000+ acres)

7. Woodbury Fire – 2019 (123,000+ acres)

8. Bighorn Fire – 2020 (119,000+ acres)

9. Willow Fire – 2004 (119,000+ acres)

10. Dragon Bravo Fire – 2025 (105,000+ acres and still burning)

The Wallow Fire remains the largest fire in Arizona’s history, burning from May 29 until it was contained on July 8, 2011. Its smoke was visible from space.