The Powell Fire Wildland Fire Use Strategy

Grand Canyon, AZ - The Powell Fire, which began June 15, on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, has grown to approximately 610 acres. Wayne Cook's Interagency Fire Use Management Team accepted responsibility for the management of the fire on June 20th. The team is working closely with Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest managers as the fire is located near the boundary between the forest and the park.

The fire continues to move in a southerly direction backing into the wind on the top of the Powell Plateau growing about 100 acres a day.

Personnel assigned to the fire are positioned at Swamp Point and other locations east of the fire at vantage points along the North Rim, monitoring smoke dispersal, taking weather observations and mapping the fire progression. According to Josh Erickson, supervisor on the Bandelier Module, "the fire is progressing naturally along the plateau, producing very little smoke and things are going quite smoothly."

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is open to the public, however, the temporary closure of the North Bass Trail, Powell Plateau Trail, and Swamp Ridge Road remains in effect to ensure public safety.

For more information about these closures, please contact the Park's Backcountry Information Center at (928) 638-7875 or for general park information, please call (928) 638-7888.