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Huge wildfires near famous Grand Canyon

Wildfire burning over grand canyonReuters

The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world

A historical lodge in the Grand Canyon in America has been destroyed by a wildfire.

Two wildfires have swept across tens of thousands of acres on the north side of the US nature reserve over the past two weeks.

Watch: Wildfire burns parts of the Grand Canyon National Park

They've been called the Dragon Bravo Fire and White Sage Fire by the Arizonian authorities, who are still working to contain them.

No one has been hurt by either blaze, but tens of thousands of residents and tourists have had to evacuate the surrounding areas.

More on wildfires

What are wildfires?

Wildfires are fires that burn across natural landscapes like woods and forests.

They need three things to start and spread:

  1. Fuel, such as trees or plants.

  2. A spark, like a flash of lightning or something manmade like a campfire.

  3. Weather, as high winds can make them spread and hot weather makes things burn more easily.

What's happened in the Grand Canyon?

wildfire in the distance on the right hand side above lots of the grand canyonReuters

The north side of the canyon has been evacuated by authorities but the south side is still open

The Dragon Bravo Fire began on 4 July and was caused by a lightning strike, according to authorities.

The Wild Sage Fire, meanwhile, was reported on 9 July after a thunderstorm.

It was the Dragon Bravo Fire that burned the lodge, and it has reportedly destroyed between 50 and 80 other buildings in the area with strong winds fuelling the blaze.

"As stewards of some of our country's most beloved national treasures, we are devastated by the loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge," Aramark, the company that operated the lodge, said in a statement.

"We are grateful that all of our employees and guests have been safely evacuated," the statement added.

wildfire with tree silhouettesReuters

Firefighters are still working to put the fires out

The governor of Arizona, who is a Democrat, criticised the way the federal government, run by the Republican Party, has handled the fire.

She called for an investigation into why it was decided to be a controlled burn as opposed to being put out.

But a spokesperson for the US Interior Department (which is responsible for America's natural landscapes) said the allegation that the fire was mismanaged "is not at all accurate", and they take threats of wildfires very seriously.