Chatting The Pictures: The Grand Climate Disconnect

Joe Rondone captured this image for The Arizona Republic showing visitors at Mather Point witnessing the massive smoke plumes from the Dragon Bravo Fire on July 13, 2025. The fire, which began as a lightning struck on July 4th, exploded into a rare “megafire” consuming over 143,000 acres, also destroying the historic 1937 Grand Canyon Lodge. Only 3% of wildfires reach this scale yet account for the majority of burned acreage nationwide. They are also known to create pyrocumulus clouds so intense that they generate their own weather systems, marking a terrifying new phase of climate breakdown.

The video explores how the calm tourists, vast canyon, and looming smoke capture both beauty and danger, echoing classic landscape art. It highlights visitors’ disengagement as they treat the megafire like a photo opportunity, and explains the symbolism of the overlook. The discussion frames this image within the broader context of climate breakdown, emphasizing how massive fires now dwarf traditional icons of natural beauty and signal a troubling new normal.

You can find all the Chatting the Pictures replays here.