What starts with a lightning strike can end in a massive evacuation—and that’s exactly what’s unfolding in Arizona.
The White Sage Fire, ignited on July 9 near the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, has ballooned into a 19,000-acre inferno.
It has grown more than tenfold in under 24 hours. And officials say it’s still 0% contained.
With triple-digit heat, dry brush, and high winds fanning the flames, park rangers have been scrambling.
Mass Evacuation Underway
Around 500 visitors were evacuated by Friday.
Residents in Jacob Lake were ordered to “GO” immediately as another blaze, the Dragon Bravo Fire, crept dangerously close.
“This is a worst-case scenario,” officials warned, pointing to brutal 116°F (46°C) highs and a landscape baked dry by extreme heat.
A part of Highway 89A has been shut down, and emergency crews are attacking the fire from land and air.
Even beyond Arizona, nature’s fury is on full display.
Colorado’s Black Canyon National Park also cleared out after lightning sparked multiple fires across the region.
The fires come with tragic human cost too—a 67-year-old hiker died on the Grand Canyon’s South Kaibab Trail just days ago.
When lightning meets dry land, Mother Nature reminds us who’s in charge—and she’s not playing nice.
