r/Wildfire • u/CBSnews • Jul 15 '25

News (General) National Park Service's handling of wildfire that destroyed historic Grand Canyon Lodge questioned

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/grand-canyon-lodge-wildfire-burned-for-days-before-it-spread/
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u/Lucky_Double_8301 Jul 15 '25

I think it was a mistake because it was during peak fire season with strong winds in the forecast. I fully believe in managing fires for fuels reduction is the right thing to do but there is a time and place. Spring when fire intensity is low or at the end of summer when the conditions won’t allow for a missive devastating fire.

59

u/Hard_Rock_Hallelujah WFM Nerd Jul 15 '25

It is impossible to predict wind events weeks in advance. Have you ever managed a fire yourself? Do you know what goes into the decision-making process on them?

On my last managed fire, I did a full PMS 236 Complexity Analysis, multiple WFDSS runs over several months in coordination with our Regional Fire Planner, set up a remote camera updating every hour with both visible and IR imaging, had daily meetings with the FMO, Duty Officer, and Agency Administrator, and adjusted strategies based on when the fire hit my various Management Action Points.

A managed fire isn't just the IC going "oh we think it's a good time to do this!" It's a conscious decision to keep fire on the landscape for weeks/months, and there is a CONSTANT re-evaluation process going on between the IC, AA, FMO, DO, etc., and if conditions change, the management strategy can totally change from management to full suppression if need be.

3

u/Tricky_South Jul 16 '25

Yes, I have managed a fire and I do know what should go into the decision making process. There had been red flag conditions in the days leading up to the lightning strike. The red flag conditions were predicted to continue. Only an idiot would expect to manage a fire in red flag conditions. Add to that the uniqueness of that forest. An elevated plateau with forest surrounded by desert on all sides. There’s even history of the Park Service trying to manage lightning strikes during red flag conditions and losing control, the Warm Fire and Bridger Fire to name two. Their decision making was flawed. They deserve all the scrutiny so, at the very least, the mistakes aren’t repeated.