The National Park Service is defending its handling of a lightning-sparked wildfire that destroyed the nearly century-old Grand Canyon Lodge and dozens of historic cabins, saying containment lines had been built around the blaze and crews were prepared to conduct defensive firing operations.

Drought, a warming climate and decades of firefighting policies that suppressed natural fires have turned many grasslands and forests across the West into tinderboxes.

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 NWS warning was in effect for regions of the Grand Canyon below 4,000 feet elevation. Temperatures were forecast to potentially reach 110 degrees at Phantom Ranch and 102 at Havasupai Gardens.