Republic photographer Michael Chow captured the wildfire in a time-lapse video taken July 14 from the Canyon's South Rim. Chow set up his camera on a tripod, pointed it at the smoke, hoping it cleared at some point and and shot a photo every four seconds for 4 1/2 hours.

The persistent Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon destroyed dozens of buildings this weekend, including the Grand Canyon Lodge.

Federal officials initially treated the fire as a controlled burn before powerful winds caused it to explode in size over the weekend, spurring evacuations as it swallowed whole structures, including the Grand Canyon Lodge,

A wildfire destroyed a historic lodge at the Grand Canyon's North Rim and some political leaders want to know if the fire was mismanaged. One fire expert said officials should approach policy changes carefully because controlled burns are still critical to forest health.