Arizona Senator Mark Kelly visits Dragon Bravo Fire area

(CNN, KYMA/KECY) - Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) took a trip to the Dragon Bravo Fire area which continues to burn near the Grand Canyon.

On Friday, Senator Kelly was able to see the devastation in person about a month after he first called for an investigation into how the fire was handled.

"I think the agencies I spoke to are doing a good job trying to tackle it," Kelly shared.

Kelly, seeing the work being put into fighting the fire, still says he wants to know more about why the fire was not put out, and allowed to be monitored as a burn during one of the hottest and driest months of the year.

When asked if thinks an investigation still needs to happen, Kelly said, "I think you need an investigation. Something with this scale, and this amount of damage, and the cost to the federal government in fighting this fire, I think it's always smart to take a close look at something."

Republican members of Congress, like Rep. Eli Crane, are also calling for an investigation into the fire and urge people to visit the park.

"It's open, it's still beautiful, and you guys can come here, recreate and support small businesses," Rep. Crane expressed.

Visitor numbers are noticeably down due to the fire, even miles away on the South Rim.

"We heard about it, but we didn't think we'd see it from this viewpoint," said one visitor.

"It's somewhat sad to see that this land is burning," said another visitor.

Crane, whose district covers the park, has called to fast track the rebuild of the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge, including bypassing environmental reviews to do so.

He and Kelly also want to eventually keep the North Rim open year-round, not just seasonally.

As of Sunday, the Dragon Bravo Fire has burned 143,489 acres and is 37% contained. To keep up-to-date on the fire, click here.