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.

More than a week after lightning ignited wildfires, thousands of acres of Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park are still ablaze, and massive portions of the canyon’s South Rim have been destroyed.

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.