​The wildfire that destroyed a historic lodge on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this month was the latest blow to the struggling National Park Service after months of staffing and funding cuts under the Trump administration.

The senators referenced the 2006 Warm Fire, another lightning-caused fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon that was initially allowed to burn as a wildland use fire. The Warm Fire ultimately destroyed 59,000 acres of land and nearly killed a thousand people.

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.

A wildfire that destroyed a historic Grand Canyon lodge is continuing to spread out of control after it had been allowed to burn for days.

A wildfire in tinder-dry forest destroyed dozens of buildings, prompting public outrage that it was left to burn for a week before firefighters tried to fully extinguish it.

The Grand Canyon Lodge was the park's one and only hotel, according the National Park Service, with the next nearest lodgings roughly 18 miles away.

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.

U.S. land managers have long known that they have a problem on their hands with overgrown forests and persistent drought.