Pocket Fire

Years of prescribed burning and forest thinning on the Coconino National Forest slowed the Pocket Fire where it came within about two miles of property near Flagstaff, Mountainaire, and Kachina Village. Fire officials plan more prescribed burns this fall, including in the burn scar.

Most Coconino National Forest lands and roads in the Pocket Fire area reopened July 31 as the closure order shrank. County flood modeling using BAER data found low flash flood risk for Oak Creek Canyon properties downstream of West Fork; the creek itself stays off limits.

The Oak Creek swimming area at Slide Rock State Park will stay closed through September after flash flooding washed ash and debris from the Pocket Fire burn scar into the creek. The park remains open for hiking, picnicking and the historic homestead displays.

The Greater Sedona Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau formed a 501(c)(3) foundation whose Red Rock Recovery Fund will direct donations toward Pocket Fire relief. The Stevenson family, owners of the Ambiente hotel, seeded it with a $25,000 gift.

The Coconino National Forest declared the fire 100% contained on the morning of July 30, 41 days after it started, at a final size of 27,393 acres. Thirteen recreation sites and trails stay closed, including West Fork Trail and Call of the Canyon.

Business owners in Oak Creek Canyon said post-fire flash flooding has driven away tourists during peak season, with cancellations and floodwater reaching one canyon resort's entrance. Sedona hotels saw about a 10% drop in overnight visitors over the July 4 weekend from a year earlier.

A Forest Service hydrologist said elevated post-fire flooding is expected in the West Fork of Oak Creek through the rest of the monsoon season, though the risk depends on storm intensity. She noted the 2014 Slide Fire produced little flooding because few storms followed.

The Pocket Fire pushed Sedona to shift tourism spending toward crisis recovery, with the city authorizing up to $150,000 for advertising including $50,000 for crisis messaging. Surveyed Coconino County businesses reported about $743,000 in losses, and both counties sought federal disaster loans.

Weekend monsoon rain swept ash and debris off the Pocket Fire burn scar into Oak Creek. The Coconino National Forest closed the creek between Call of the Canyon and Sedona, seven recreation sites, and Slide Rock State Park's water access to protect visitors from flash floods.

An Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response team completed its soil burn severity map for the fire, rating 65% of the burned area at moderate severity and 3% at high. The map is the basis for modeling post-fire flooding, erosion, and debris-flow risk across the scar.

Northern Arizona University restoration ecologist Andrew Sanchez Meador said rain hitting bare soil on the burn scar runs off with an explosive outcome. He said the chaparral and shrubland that burned resprouts quickly, which could ease flooding if gentle rains come first.

The Burned Area Emergency Response team is comparing satellite burn severity maps against ground conditions in the West Fork of Oak Creek, Dry Creek and Secret Canyon watersheds. Information officer Dick Fleishman said the work asks how changed soils will move water off the landscape.

County officials said they are cautiously optimistic that the Pocket Fire will not substantially raise the chance of severe flooding in Oak Creek Canyon. They said firmer predictions have to wait until the Burned Area Emergency Response team finishes its initial survey.

The Coconino National Forest posted its closure order covering National Forest lands, roads and trails inside the Pocket Fire area, including part of the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness. The order took effect July 13 and runs through September 30 unless rescinded.

The Coconino National Forest barred motor vehicle use on more than 60 Flagstaff Ranger District roads to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires during severe fire weather. The restriction runs through September 30 unless rescinded.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch covering the Pocket Fire burn scar, Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 15. Forecasters said thunderstorms could drop 1 to 2 inches of rain in less than an hour over the burned ground.

A Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response team led by Paul Brown began field surveys of the Pocket Fire burn area on July 15. The team is mapping soil burn severity to judge flooding and debris flow risk and to recommend emergency stabilization measures.

Researchers and park officials warned that monsoon storms over the Pocket Fire and Dragon Bravo burn scars could drive flash flooding that carries rocks, ash and debris. Grand Canyon officials installed real-time flood gauges with the U.S. Geological Survey to warn hikers.

InciWeb reported the Pocket Fire at 27,393 acres and 83% contained, with personnel down to 678. The perimeter held with minimal heat, most crews shifted to suppression repair, and the California Complex team handed command to a local Forest Service Type 3 team in its final update.

The Forest Service published a Burned Area Emergency Response program overview on the Pocket Fire incident page, describing how BAER teams assess post-fire risks such as soil burn severity and flooding to guide emergency stabilization.

State Route 89A reopened in both directions between Sedona and Flagstaff and all remaining SET evacuation orders returned to READY as the Pocket Fire held at 27,393 acres and 76% containment on July 13. Personnel dropped to 862 as demobilization continued.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning on July 13 for areas in and around the Pocket Fire burn scar. Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms had dropped more than an inch of rain on the scar, with additional rain expected.

The Sedona paper reported State Route 89A reopened through Oak Creek Canyon with weekday lane restrictions for a guardrail project, as a Forest Service spokesman said the active firefight was winding down and crews were shifting to suppression rehab before winter rains.

SR 89A reopened in both directions between Sedona and Interstate 17 nearly a month after the Pocket Fire closed it, and Seven Canyons, Enchantment, and Oak Creek Canyon dropped from SET to READY. Canyon business owners described steep peak-season losses and urged visitors to return.

InciWeb reported the Pocket Fire at 27,393 acres and 76% contained on July 12, with 990 personnel about 7 miles north of Sedona. Crews shifted to suppression repair as excavators restored dozer lines and aircraft monitored hot spots in the West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon.

The 2014 Slide Fire burn scar slowed the Pocket Fire as it pushed toward Kachina Village and the south end of Flagstaff, leaving little fuel to carry the flames. A Forest Service spokesman said the older burn calmed the fire down and helped keep it from becoming catastrophic.

InciWeb reported the Pocket Fire at 27,451 acres and 76% contained on July 11, with 1,106 personnel assigned about 7 miles north of Sedona. Crews reinforced containment lines and chipped fuels while aircraft supported the West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon and held hand line above Seven Canyons.

Sedona's weekly newspaper reported that Pocket Fire smoke and closures have cut into summer tourism, with hotels citing double-digit booking declines and the closed Junipine Resort reporting significant cancellations, even as officials stress Sedona remains open for business.

KJZZ reported that Oak Creek Canyon's Forest Houses Resort has had no guests or income for three weeks of peak season, leaving about a dozen staff uncertain about rent. Owner Jenny Kittredge said other Sedona and Flagstaff businesses are struggling even as officials stress the area is open and safe.

InciWeb reported the Pocket Fire at 27,451 acres and 73% contained on July 10, with 1,148 personnel assigned. Crews reinforced containment lines and built hand line above the Seven Canyons and Boynton Canyon areas while air resources held the fire in check in Long Canyon.

Crews reached 69% containment on the Pocket Fire north of Sedona, with the most active fire on the southwestern edge near Hart Well Canyon. KNAU reported smoke had eased significantly, with good-to-moderate air quality expected in Flagstaff and Kachina Village.

InciWeb reported the Pocket Fire at 27,451 acres and 69% contained on July 9, with personnel drawn down to 1,078. Crews mopped up above Oak Creek Canyon and built contingency lines near Hart Well Canyon, the day's most active area, while Seven Canyons and Enchantment stayed in SET status.

Residents documented packing family photos and heirlooms as Seven Canyons and Enchantment stayed in SET status, with one recalling the 2003 Cedar Fire. Falling ash and smoke reached Flagstaff and cut into downtown foot traffic as the fire held at 27,440 acres and 53% contained.

InciWeb reported the Pocket Fire at 27,440 acres and 53 percent contained, with 1,296 personnel assigned about 7 miles north of Sedona. Crews focused on the West Fork drainage, ordered additional aircraft, and established a new helicopter base in Williams.

The Pocket Fire reached 26,803 acres and 51% containment with 1,238 personnel assigned. Crews ran direct suppression around Secret Cabin, hardened lines in the southwest corner, and built contingency lines near State Route 89A and Oak Creek Canyon.

InciWeb put the Pocket Fire at 26,442 acres and 48% contained, with 1,238 personnel assigned. Crews strengthened control lines on the northwest flank and used helicopter water drops to slow the fire's spread down West Fork Canyon toward Oak Creek Canyon.

Pocket Fire closures kept Fourth of July visitors away from Sedona, where tourism draws nearly 3 million people a year and supplies 77 percent of the city's sales tax. Tour operators and hospitality businesses reported cancellations while State Route 89A and popular trailheads stayed closed.

California Interagency Incident Management Team 6, a federal complex team, assumed command of the Pocket Fire on July 5. InciWeb reported the fire at 25,597 acres and 38% contained with 1,038 personnel assigned, about seven miles north of Sedona.

A National Weather Service meteorologist in Flagstaff told the Verde Independent that the Pocket Fire's smoke plume can create very localized winds and occasional rain, but its effect on the wider region's weather is negligible. The broader concern, she said, is smoke and air quality.

InciWeb posted the Pocket Fire's daily operations video for July 4. It accompanies an update that had crews using helicopter drops to hold the fire in West Fork Canyon north of Sedona.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office placed Seven Canyons and Enchantment in SET evacuation status at 3:38 p.m. on July 3 as the Pocket Fire reached 25,160 acres and 31% containment. Crews shifted resources south to slow the fire's spread down West Fork Canyon toward Oak Creek Canyon.

An official update put the Pocket Fire at 25,160 acres and 31% contained, with 1,089 personnel assigned. Helicopter drops kept the fire from advancing in West Fork Canyon, and crews watched Maroon Mountain to keep fire dropping down its face from establishing at the base.

InciWeb posted the Pocket Fire's daily operational video for July 3. It accompanies the day's update describing crews working to keep fire from spreading out of the canyons north of Sedona.

Arizona's Family reported the Pocket Fire at 23,451 acres and 25% contained, with ash falling on Flagstaff, reduced downtown tourism, a Sedona flower shop hurt by the Highway 89A closure, and residents setting up a gratitude stand for firefighters.

Arizona's Family reported that fire officials expect the Pocket Fire could take months to reach full containment, because its southern flank burns in terrain too rugged to engage directly and depends on aerial suppression and monsoon rain.

An official update put the Pocket Fire at 23,451 acres and 25% contained, with about 1,145 personnel assigned. Hotshot crews worked to keep fire from spreading out of the canyons onto the plateaus north of Sedona, and a new incident management team was set to take command July 7.

Crews held the Pocket Fire's northern and eastern lines as it passed 20,000 acres at 21% containment, while very unhealthy smoke settled over Flagstaff and firefighters installed sprinklers to protect threatened communities.

Smoke from the Pocket Fire burning between Flagstaff and Sedona is deterring some Fourth of July visitors, and Flagstaff plans a drone show in place of fireworks as Sedona tour operators watch air quality.

The incident's fire behavior analyst walks through the expected weather and fire behavior on the Pocket Fire for July 2.

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office downgraded Kachina Village, Forest Highlands, and Pine Del from SET to READY, while Oak Creek Canyon stayed in SET. Fire officials scheduled a community meeting in Sedona for July 2.

The incident's July 1 operations video reviews the day's firefighting on the Pocket Fire north of Sedona.

The Pocket Fire reached 20% containment for the first time on July 1 at 17,069 acres north of Sedona, with 1,036 personnel assigned. Crews tied in dozer lines near West Fork to keep fire from SET-status communities and used direct attack with helicopter drops on slower fire to the south.

The Pocket Fire north of Sedona grew 519 acres Tuesday to 15,895 acres and stayed 0% contained, with more than 1,000 firefighters assigned. Crews began moving offensively as weather eased after holding the fire's northward spread at Forest Road 535.

Arizona's Family reported the Pocket Fire grew past 15,300 acres west of Oak Creek Canyon, still 0% contained after nearly quadrupling over the weekend. Officials said winds carried embers up to a mile ahead of the flames as crews planned targeted burnouts.

InciWeb posted the Pocket Fire's June 30 operations video, recapping the day's plan as crews shifted to offensive operations, ran burnouts on multiple perimeters, and built defensive lines while holding the northern edge at Forest Road 535.

InciWeb reported the Pocket Fire at 15,376 acres and 0% contained, with 961 personnel assigned 7 miles north of Sedona. After more than 4,000 acres of overnight growth, crews stopped the fire's northern advance at Forest Road 535 and ran burnouts as winds eased.

As the Pocket Fire passed 11,000 acres at 0% containment, Kachina Village residents spent the weekend packing irreplaceable belongings ahead of a possible evacuation. Officials warned embers were traveling up to a mile ahead of the flames as 89A closures cut into nearby businesses.

Kachina Village residents told KNAU they felt growing dread as the Pocket Fire burned nearby and their neighborhood stayed in SET status, one step short of a mandatory evacuation. One said his insurer moved to drop his home over wildfire risk; another could not insure a newly bought mobile home.

Arizona's Family reported smoke from the Pocket Fire degraded air quality near Flagstaff, prompting an Arizona Department of Environmental Quality ozone High Pollution Advisory through Tuesday. Officials urged residents to limit time outdoors and consider an N95 mask.

The Pocket Fire grew to 11,192 acres at 0% containment on June 29 with 913 personnel assigned about 7 miles north of Sedona. The Coconino County Sheriff expanded SET status to Kachina Village and Forest Highlands, and Stage 2 fire restrictions took effect Tuesday.

The Pocket Fire grew to 6,016 acres and stayed 0% contained on June 28 after more than doubling in a day. Kachina Village, Forest Highlands, and Pine Del 99 were placed in SET status and two Oak Creek Canyon zones downgraded from GO to SET, with personnel rising to 913.

The Pocket Fire north of Sedona surged to about 6,000 acres and remained 0% contained on June 28, according to The Arizona Republic.

Coconino County opened an emergency call center for the Pocket Fire at 928-253-9405, where residents can ask about the fire, shelters, and evacuation stages.

The Pocket Fire grew to 5,547 acres and stayed 0% contained after running about 3,200 acres north into Bear Sign Canyon on Saturday. Kachina Village and Forest Highlands moved to SET status, State Route 89A and Woody Mountain Road stayed closed, and 871 personnel worked structure protection.

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office placed all zones of Kachina Village and Forest Highlands into SET status on June 27 as the Pocket Fire reached 5,547 acres with no containment, telling residents to be ready to evacuate.

InciWeb posted a June 27 incident meteorologist video for the Pocket Fire, in which Ryan Walbrun reviews the fire weather as a third day of Red Flag Warning conditions brings strong winds and low humidity north of Sedona.

InciWeb posted the June 27 operations video for the Pocket Fire, the incident management team's daily briefing on planned firefighting operations north of Sedona during peak Red Flag conditions.

As of June 27, InciWeb put the Pocket Fire at 2,114 acres and 0% contained, with 856 personnel assigned 7 miles north of Sedona. Crews held the north line against gusts to 58 mph and stopped four spot fires across Forest Road 231. Oak Creek Canyon stays restricted to residents and 89A is closed.

Arizona's Family reports the Pocket Fire grew past 2,110 acres with no containment as three days of Red Flag Warnings brought winds gusting toward 50 mph. Businesses along State Route 89A near Oak Creek Canyon described falling ash and lost revenue while the canyon stayed in SET status.

The Sedona Red Rock News reported the Pocket Fire at 1,467 acres and 0% containment as of June 26, burning in steep terrain near the Edge of the World. Coconino County and Forest Service officials briefed the Sedona City Council on evacuation planning, drawing comparisons to the 2006 Brins Fire.

InciWeb posted the June 26 operations video for the Pocket Fire, the incident management team's daily video briefing on the day's planned firefighting operations north of Sedona.

As of June 26, the Pocket Fire grew to 1,467 acres at 0 percent containment with 969 personnel about 7 miles north of Sedona. Oak Creek Canyon stayed in SET status, State Route 89A remained closed between Sedona and Forest Highlands, and the Sedona public meeting was postponed to Monday, June 29.

The Sedona Red Rock News compiled resident photos, maps, and a timeline of the Pocket Fire, including the June 19 evacuation order that dropped to SET status on June 23 and a Red Cross shelter opened at Sedona Red Rock High School.

InciWeb's June 25 update set an evening community meeting at Sinagua Middle School in Flagstaff and said Wednesday's rain had little effect on the fire. Oak Creek Canyon stayed in SET status and State Route 89A stayed closed between Sedona and Forest Highlands.

InciWeb's June 24 update held the Pocket Fire at 691 acres and 0% contained with 678 personnel about 7 miles north of Sedona. Oak Creek Canyon stayed in SET status for residents only, and State Route 89A remained closed from Sedona to Fort Tuthill.

InciWeb's June 23 update downgraded Oak Creek Canyon evacuations from GO to SET, with access limited to residents. State Route 89A stays closed and crews continue an indirect attack in steep terrain.

The 257-acre Pocket Fire remained 0% contained June 22 as 432 personnel established spike camps and launched night operations to build a long-term suppression plan. SR 89A between Sedona and I-17 stayed closed, with midweek thunderstorm outflow winds flagged as a new threat to fire spread.

About 430 crew members were fighting the Pocket Fire near Oak Creek Canyon as of June 22, with aircraft treating roughly 90% of the fire area over the weekend. U.S. Forest Service officials flagged potential thunderstorm outflow winds later in the week as a major threat to fire spread.

The Pocket Fire reached 320 acres as of June 22 with 0% containment, keeping Oak Creek Canyon under mandatory evacuations and SR 89A fully shut down. Sedona Fire Department officials cited drought, live fuel moisture, and limited fire history in the area as key factors complicating suppression.

Evacuation orders for Oak Creek Canyon residents near the Pocket Fire end at 8 a.m. Tuesday as the fire holds at 257 acres north of Sedona. State Route 89A stays closed, along with area trails and campgrounds, while crews continue suppression.

The Pocket Fire started June 19 north of Sedona and grew past 27,000 acres. Oak Creek Canyon sat at SET while Kachina Village, Forest Highlands and Pine Del were downgraded to READY, and the Red Cross opened a shelter at Sedona Red Rock High School.