The building was surrounded by vegetation on fire when a team of “helitack” firefighters arrived to protect the area on Tuesday. Grand Canyon National Park officials said the crews knew if the pump house fell, the consequences could cripple park operations for months.

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.

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.

A fast-moving wildfire is currently tearing through the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, forcing evacuations, shutting down major tourist areas and destroying one of the park’s most historic landmarks.

A combination of high winds, dry air and above average temperatures caused a wildfire in the Grand Canyon to rapidly expand and cause major damage.

More than a week after lightning ignited wildfires, thousands of acres of Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park are still ablaze, and massive portions of the canyon’s South Rim have been destroyed.

The Dragon Bravo Fire started on July 4 and was managed at first as a controlled burn. Then the wind picked up, and it quickly became uncontrollable.

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.