Wildfire conditions across the US Southwest intensified on 4 August, with two of the nation’s largest blazes of 2025 advancing on opposite sides of the Colorado River basin. In Arizona, the Dragon Bravo Fire has scorched nearly 50,000 hectares (about 124,000 acres) since lightning ignited the area on 4 July, making it the biggest US wildfire of the year. Containment remained stalled at 13% despite round-the-clock efforts by more than 1,000 firefighters, and authorities kept the Grand Canyon’s North Rim closed for the rest of the tourist season after the fire destroyed up to 80 buildings, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. In California, the Gifford Fire in Los Padres National Forest expanded to roughly 65,000 acres, tripling in size over two days and becoming the state’s second-largest blaze this year after the 80,000-acre Madre Fire. Officials reported three injuries—one of them a serious burn—and ordered hundreds of residents to leave parts of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Only 3% of the perimeter had been secured as of Monday morning, and forecasts of 15-to-25 mph winds prompted warnings that the flames could spread east toward areas recently burned by the Madre Fire. Both incidents underscore the strain on federal and state firefighting resources during a season of prolonged heat and drought. Budget cuts to land-management and disaster agencies in recent years have narrowed response capacity, while the early-August fires have already forced closures of key tourism sites and put thousands of homes at risk. Authorities urged residents to follow evacuation orders promptly and advised visitors to the Grand Canyon to monitor changing access restrictions.