Drought, a warming climate and decades of firefighting policies that suppressed natural fires have turned many grasslands and forests across the West into tinderboxes.

Newark Advocate Faith Works columnist Jeff Gill discusses his feelings of loss over the destruction of some of his favorite locations and attractions.

"Though it was definitely not your average vacation trip, everything worked out okay. We made the best of it," Russ Christian said.

The NWS warning was in effect for regions of the Grand Canyon below 4,000 feet elevation. Temperatures were forecast to potentially reach 110 degrees at Phantom Ranch and 102 at Havasupai Gardens.

After the Dragon Bravo fire destroyed the historic lodge and other buildings on the night of the eleventh, Horning noticed on his phone app that two helicopters began water drops on the morning of the twelfth and slurry drops began on the thirteenth.