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.

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.

The National Park Service is pushing back against members of Congress who accused the agency of allowing the Dragon Bravo Fire to spin out of control on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.

A new report has calculated that making national parks the responsibility of states would raise costs, cut revenue and reduce access for Arizonans.