Flagstaff: Pocket Fire Swells to 6,000 Acres, Brings Smoke and Flight Delays to Northern Arizona

Fire doubles in size with zero containment

The Pocket Fire north of Sedona has grown to more than 6,000 acres with zero percent containment, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The blaze, which started on June 19, expanded by 3,200 acres over the weekend as multiple spot fires merged north of Woody Mountain Road.

Nearly 1,000 firefighters are battling the fire, but steep terrain, dry vegetation, and strong winds have made containment extremely difficult.

"It's probably one of the most challenging fires that almost every fire manager on this fire said this one is complex, one of the most complex," said Dick Fleishman, public information officer for the Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team 2.

Evacuation zones expand

Officials placed several communities under SET evacuation status, meaning residents should be ready to leave immediately. The affected areas include:

• Kachina Village
• Forest Highlands
• Pine Del 99
• Oak Creek Canyon

State Route 89A remains closed to everyone except residents of those areas.

Residents in Kachina Village spent Sunday packing valuables and preparing for possible evacuation.

"Monetary value, in that sense, doesn't mean too much to me, but you leave one thing there and you'll never see it again," said resident Lexi Wahl as she loaded baby clothes, family photos, and her grandfather's camera into a pickup truck.

Another resident, Shira Itogawa, said her home burned in the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego. She said the current smoke brought back painful memories.

"I don't expect us to actually burn, but I'd rather have stuff out and not burn than have all of it lost again," Itogawa said.

Flagstaff feels the impact

Smoke from the fire is affecting areas well beyond Sedona. Officials said the western and northern parts of Flagstaff, and areas along State Route 180 between Flagstaff and Fort Valley, are experiencing air quality levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups.

A temporary flight restriction is in place at Flagstaff Pulliam Airport. One flight was canceled and another was delayed on Sunday, according to Yahoo News. Travelers planning to fly out of Flagstaff are being asked to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

The National Weather Service Flagstaff issued a Red Flag Warning that took effect June 28 at 8:59 p.m. MST and runs until June 29 at 7:00 p.m. MST. The warning covers areas east and southeast of Flagstaff, stretching along the Mogollon Rim and White Mountains.

The NWS forecast calls for southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph and minimum relative humidity values from 8 to 22 percent. A Fire Weather Watch remains in effect for Tuesday, with winds and humidity expected to remain critical.

"30 mile per hour sustained gusts up towards 50 miles an hour, which will really accelerate how this fire can potentially move," Fleishman said.

Businesses feel the sting

Even though they are far from Flagstaff, businesses in Sedona told Arizona's Family that visitor numbers have dropped because of the fire.

Viola's Flower Garden, located on SR 89A, relies on traffic traveling along the road. Manager Caitlin Ewart said business has been impacted since the fire started because the road closure prevents customers from driving up.

"The smoke does shade out some of the plants, so they're not getting as much sunshine. It's just the air quality is not good for the plants as well," Ewart said.

What comes next

Fleishman said this weekend will remain a challenge for crews, but conditions could improve next week.

"The reason why we're not calling containment right now is because of this wind. If we can get through these three days, you'll probably start seeing some containment on this fire," Fleishman said.

Officials have not determined the cause of the Pocket Fire.

Coconino County officials are asking residents to sign up for the county's emergency notification system to receive the most up-to-date information on evacuation orders.

A call center for the Pocket Fire is active. Residents can call 928-679-8525 with questions about the fire, shelters, or evacuation stages.