Congressman Paul Gosar is calling on Trump administration officials to provide answers as to whether or not the Biden administration’s policies are behind the ravages of the Dragon Bravo wildfires.
Currently, the Dragon Bravo Fire is 8% contained. It continues to rage in the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, threatening livelihoods, jobs, federal and state revenue, and Arizona’s natural beauty.
In response, Gosar has called for an investigation into the fire, saying he wants answers for the people of Arizona.
“I am concerned that the Dragon Bravo Wildfire is the direct result of recently inherited policies from the Biden Administration,” stated Gosar. “We must not waver in our efforts to seek answers for the people of Arizona. Today, I call on Secretary of the Interior, Secretary Burgum, to seek answers for the people of Arizona, who want answers as to the causes of this disaster and what can be done to prevent tragedies like this in the future.”
“The people of Arizona will not be calling for answers alone,” said Gosar. “I will continue to seek answers and solutions, because these wildfires deeply impact Arizonans and our state.”
In his letter to Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, Gosar wrote, “I am concerned that the spread of the Dragon Bravo Wildfire is the direct result of the recently inherited policies from the previous administration. Specifically, the Biden-Harris administration promoted policies that allowed for the mass overgrowth of brush, prohibited effective fuel reduction operations, and locked up the lands from resource development.”
The Dragon Bravo Fire started on July 4, and poor wildfire management allowed the fire to destroy dozens of structures, including NPS administrative buildings and visitor facilities and the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.
The North Rim will remain closed to all visitor access for the remainder of the 2025 season.
Additionally, all inner canyon corridor trails, campgrounds, and associated areas are closed until further notice, including:
- North Kaibab Trail and South Kaibab Trail
- Bright Angel Trail below Havasupai Gardens. River exchanges are allowed to pass through this area at their discretion.
- Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground
- River Trail between Pipe Creek and the South Kaibab
- Tonto East between Havasupai Gardens and Tip Off
- All backcountry routes and canyoneering routes stemming from the North or South Kaibab, or the Bright Angel Trail.
The NPS policy of allowing naturally started wildfires to burn is beyond stupid. Yes, I understand what they are trying to do – re-introduce fire into the ecosystem that suppressed all wildfire for a long time. However, they need some baseline standards regarding temperature, humidity, wind speed and proximity to structures that change the strategy from let burn to full suppression. Remember when Yellowstone burned up? https://www.wyohistory.org/blog/when-yellowstone-burned Some people/gov’t agencies never learn, and I for one am sick of footing the bill.
The Biden administration got nothing right. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.