Brighty the Burro, Beloved Grand Canyon Statue, Is Rescued From Dragon Bravo Fire

The legacy of Brighty the Burro just got more storied.

At the turn of the 20th century, the lone, partly tamed burro became well known to pioneers of the Grand Canyon for forging a trail along the rocky terrain before the geographic formation became a national park.

Brighty’s adventures carved a path from the top of the canyon to the bottom for travelers to follow, and his independent spirit became a legend in the Southwest.

A children’s novel about Brighty’s escapades, “Brighty of the Grand Canyon,” which included his interactions with President Theodore Roosevelt, was published in 1953 and further cemented his role in American folklore.

And now, a bronze statue of Brighty that has become synonymous with his adventures has endured a journey all of its own by surviving the flames of the Dragon Bravo fire, which since July 4 has ravaged Grand Canyon National Park and scores of structures, including the Grand Canyon Lodge where Brighty greeted visitors for nearly six decades.

The National Park Service on Thursday shared a photo of the 600-pound bronze statue strapped in the bed of a pickup truck.

He was worse for wear — missing an ear and two front legs — but was mostly intact. His entire body was charred, and his shiny gold nose was stained a dark charcoal.

But to the thousands of visitors who had rubbed that nose for good luck, his survival was welcome news.

“A piece of the North Rim has been saved, and that’s a relief,” Gary Gilmore, a Pittsburgh resident who has visited the canyon four times, said in a phone interview. “So much of it was destroyed, and it’s heartbreaking. But little pieces have been saved, and that’s something to hold onto.”

Brighty, who was installed in 1967 and created by the artist Peter Jepsen, was recovered from the flames and transported to Grand Canyon National Park’s museum collections in the South Rim, about four hours from his home in the North Rim, the park said on social media.

Museum specialists will assess his condition to determine whether he can be restored or will need to be replaced.

The park did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday but promised on social media that “Brighty’s legacy as a North Rim icon will live on,” regardless of the restoration decision.

Mr. Gilmore, 70, first visited Brighty in the sunroom of the Grand Canyon Lodge in 1989. His son, Daniel, was an infant during that first visit, but on his second trip in 1990, the boy was “completely enamored” by the burro, he said.

On that trip, while his parents hiked, Daniel begged his grandparents to take him to see Brighty.

Mr. Gilmore has frequently checked for updates about the statue on social media, and the news of his rescue was a relief to his family, he said.

“He represents the heart and soul and the free spirit that it takes to explore the canyon,” Mr. Gilmore’s wife, Janice, said.

Growing up, Robin Cornwell, 64, adored Marguerite Henry’s children’s novel about the burro and eventually read it to her son. About 15 years ago, she visited Brighty’s statue on a trip to the Grand Canyon.

As soon as she heard the lodge was threatened by the fire, which so far has burned more than 144,000 acres in Arizona, Ms. Cornwell thought of Brighty. She was “deeply touched” when she saw the burro was safe.

Ms. Cornwell hopes the park can return the statue once the fire is under control.

“The spirit of a character like Brighty stays in a place,” said Ms. Cornwell, who lives in Stillwater, Okla. “Let people see him, and be a symbol not only of the Brighty story, but of the fire.”