Please see the following announcement from the U.S. Forest Service regarding the Pocket Fire. Note: the public meeting previously scheduled in Sedona on Saturday has been moved to 7 p.m., Monday, June 29 at Sedona Red Rock Middle School and High School, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd, Sedona.
Know your evacuation zone by going to www.sedonaaz.gov/ready.
Acres: 1467
Start Date: June 19, 2026
Location: 7 miles north of Sedona, Arizona
Cause: Undetermined
Personnel: 969
Fuels: Timber and Brush
Containment: 0%
Highlights: Firefighters spent the last day before the three-day Red Flag Warning strengthening fire defenses by widening lines, opening new and old lines and utilizing natural features in the region around the fire.
Public Meeting: The public meeting previously scheduled in Sedona on Saturday has been moved to 7 p.m., Monday, June 29 at Sedona Red Rock Middle School and High School, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd, Sedona. Incident Management Team members and local authorities will speak and be available for questions from attendees. The meeting will be live streamed on the Coconino National Forest Facebook page:
U.S. Forest Service - Coconino National Forest.
Operations: Thursday north of the fire area, crews hoped to widen lines by burning out near the rim. Unfortunately, the weather was uncooperative. Nevertheless, they used mechanical means to widen those lines. To the south, scouting revealed a point where two rocky ridges almost met, forming a choke point in continuous fuels. Crews cut a saw line across the choke point, which will allow suppression from helicopters if the fire reaches that point. In Oak Creek Canyon, crews completed two saw lines to protect values near Slide Rock State Park. Near the switchbacks, they widened the line originally cut during the 2014 Slide Fire. A Red Flag Warning has been issued for this part of Arizona. Here, criteria for a Red Flag Warning includes 1) relative humidity levels of 15 percent or less for three hours of the day, 2) sustained winds of 20 mph or gusts exceeding 35 mph, 3) critically dry fuels, such as 10-hour fuels with moisture at or below 8 percent. Today the area will exceed all these criteria. As of Thursday afternoon, 10-hour fuels (those fuels which absorb or release moisture to match the environment within 10 hours) had a moisture content of 7.8 percent. Compare this to the moisture content of kiln-dried framing lumber of 12 - 19 percent. During Red Flag conditions, fire can spread very quickly. Perhaps most concerning in the case of the Pocket Fire is that the winds will be driving through the fire and up to the rim of the San Francisco Plateau. Any embers carried by the wind could cause spot fires to the north of its current perimeter. This possibility is why crews and managers have been working around the clock to widen fire breaks on the north side of the fire. Under Red Flag conditions, a simple dozer line will not stop a fire.
Evacuations and Closures: Oak Creek Canyon between Sedona and Forest Highlands is in SET evacuation order but is open only to residents who can prove their identity and residency. Find the Coconino County Evacuation Map, at
emergency-management-operations-coconinocounty.hub.arcgis.com. If you have questions about the evacuation order, call the Coconino County Sheriff’s office: 928-774-4523. A portion of Coconino National Forest around the fire remains closed to the public to ensure safety of the public and firefighters. For more details, including a closure area map, visit:
http://fs.usda.gov/.../pocket-fire-closure-order-effect. State Route 89A is closed between Sedona and Forest Highlands. Woody Mountain Road (Forest Road 231) is closed. For exact road closure locations, visit:
az511.com. For more information on the READY, SET, GO! evacuation system, visit:
ein.az.gov/ready-set-go. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect surrounding the fire area. This is to ensure safety of firefighting aircraft. For more information, visit:
tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_9455. Remember: If you fly, we can’t!
Weather: Starting today through Sunday, the National Fire Service has declared a Red Flag Warning. Today, high temperatures around the fire will be between 82 and 95 degrees, depending on elevation.
Winds will be between 11 and 24, with gusts reaching 45 mph. Humidity will remain very low and no precipitation is expected.
Safety: Some locations in the area have experienced air quality from “Unhealthy” to “Good.” This can change from hour to hour, so the public should remain vigilant. For information, visit
outlooks.airfire.org/outlook/760194b8. Crews and heavy equipment remain very active on SR 89A. Authorized motorists should drive cautiously around switchbacks and blind curves as fire traffic and large vehicles will have an increased presence on the road. Slow speeds are advised to ensure motorist and firefighter safety.
Phone Number: 928-260-0543 (7a.m. - 7p.m.)
