The fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon started from a lightning strike but was managed as a controlled burn until it spread.

The Dragon Bravo Fire in Arizona has destroyed dozens of structures and a water treatment facility on the Grand Canyon's North Rim.

A wildfire in tinder-dry forest on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon grew around 50% on Tuesday after it destroyed dozens of buildings, prompting public outrage that it was left to burn for a week before firefighters tried to fully extinguish it.

The Grand Canyon Lodge was the park's one and only hotel, according the National Park Service, with the next nearest lodgings roughly 18 miles away.

A wildfire that tore through a historic Grand Canyon Lodge​ had been allowed to burn for days before erupting over the weekend, raising questions about federal officials' decision not to aggressively attack it right away.

Along the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, the Dragon Bravo Fire that destroyed the lodge and other buildings spread to nearly 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) Monday.

The lightning-caused wildfire that consumed roughly 70 structures seemed unremarkable for days. High winds changed that.

The congressman is the latest lawmaker asking why the Dragon Bravo fire was not immediately extinguished when it was ignited by lightning on July 4.