12News was invited aboard a Blackhawk helicopter for the governor’s aerial tour. The flight began early in the morning from the Arizona Army National Guard base at Papago Park. After a brief stop at Flagstaff Airport to pick up Hobbs and refuel, the group continued north toward the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon Lodge was one of dozens of structures destroyed in a fast-moving wildfire in Arizona over the weekend, the National Park Service confirmed.

A wildfire has forced the Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim to close for the rest of the 2025 season and destroyed the lodge located in the park, a historic landmark, the National Park Service said.

A Grand Canyon water treatment facility located at the North Rim caught fire on Saturday, causing chlorine gas to be released into the air. Multiple closures are being enforced due to the incident.