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.

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.

The Dragon Bravo Fire has left a path of destruction in the Grand Canyon's North Rim, burning down the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. The National Park Service on July 19 released photos of the park, showing burned-down structures,