Partial blue skies in the morning allowed many park visitors to ignore fires on the North Rim. By afternoon, ashfall made for a different story.

The Grand Canyon's North Bravo Fire intensified on July 11, the day before Katy Rock Shop owner Jacob Proctor and his family arrived at the national park.

Arizona's governor has demanded an investigation into why a wildfire that destroyed a historic lodge and dozens of other structures on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was allowed to burn for a week before federal firefighters tried to put it out.

The Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim was destroyed by the Dragon Bravo wildfire, which began with a lightning strike on July 4 and spread rapidly due to high winds. Arizona officials, including Democratic Sens.

It was not long before the small plumes transformed into huge flames. Mr Crockett, vice-president of the non-profit Grand Canyon Historical Society, went to bed but worries kept him up. The historic Grand Canyon Lodge, with its panoramic views of one of the natural wonders of the world, was in the path of those flames.