The Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge and continues to burn in northern Arizona. See photos of the devastation.

The Dragon Bravo Fire has burned more than 8,500 acres southeast of the Grand Canyon. The fire was sparked by lightning on July 4 and has destroyed dozens of structures on the North Rim, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.

A wildfire in tinder-dry forest on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon grew around 50% on Tuesday after it destroyed dozens of buildings, prompting public outrage that it was left to burn for a week before firefighters tried to fully extinguish it.

Crews fighting a wildfire were focused on stopping the flames from consuming nearby cabins, a water pumping station, mule stables and other structures, fire officials said.

The fire that burned for days on the North Rim of Grand Canyon before it became uncontrollable was "expertly handled," the National Park Service said.

Gov. Katie Hobbs questioned why the U.S. government decided to manage the Dragon Bravo fire, which started with a lightning strike, as a “controlled burn” during the height of the summer.

Fire activity on the Dragon Bravo Fire, located at Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim, remains “extremely active,” according to an incident update Monday.

Abnormally dry, hot conditions near the Grand Canyon's North Rim allowed the Dragon Bravo Fire to grow rapidly.