Pocket Fire Forces Evacuations in Oak Creek Canyon North of Sedona

Evacuations were ordered Saturday in Oak Creek Canyon, seven miles north of Sedona, as the Pocket Fire grew to 500 acres with zero containment, according to the Coconino National Forest.

The wildfire was first reported at approximately 5 p.m. on June 19. Hot, dry, and windy conditions are hampering firefighting efforts, Sedona Fire Department Assistant Chief Jayson Coil said.

Road closures and shelter

State Route 89A remains closed in both directions between Fort Tuthill and the north end of Sedona, the Arizona Department of Transportation said. Officials have no estimated time for reopening.

Officials are not encouraging travel on Woody Mountain Road, also known as Forest Road 231.

An evacuation shelter is open at Red Rock High School in Sedona for displaced residents and visitors.

A historic resort on edge

Jenny Kittredge, manager of Forest Houses Resort, stayed on her property inside the evacuation zone Saturday evening. The 20-acre log cabin resort sits near the A.B. Young Trail, which leads directly toward the fire.

"We are concerned. It is pretty much right over the canyon wall from us," Kittredge told KNAU. "I believe as the crow flies, we're just a couple of miles away from the fire, and we've seen where wind can turn fire around pretty instantly, and where basically anything can happen."

Kittredge evacuated all guests the previous day and is canceling new reservations. She said the property has been in her family for nearly 100 years.

"This property, Forest Houses, has been in my family for almost 100 years now, and there's just a lot of history and importance to us here," she said.

Crews battle steep terrain

Seven hotshot crews, dozers, multiple engines, and airplanes are working the fire, Coil said. The primary effort is building a continuous containment line around the head of the fire.

"Working to basically paint a continuous line around the head of the fire and that is the primary effort right now is to hold the fire close to its current footprint," Coil said.

Dick Fleishman, an information officer with the Southwest Area Incident Management Team II, said the east side of the fire presents the greatest challenge. Steep slopes prevent firefighters from accessing that flank, so helicopters and other aircraft are handling suppression there.

"It gets very difficult to contain on those steep slopes," Fleishman said. "Most of our personnel are up top, but we have a lot of engines actually working down in Oak Creek Canyon, looking at values at risk there, and also Seven Canyons Resort area, looking at values at risk there."

The Southwest Area Incident Management Team II will take over the response at 6 a.m. Sunday. Fleishman said the team is one of 57 complex incident management teams nationwide, with four based in the Southwest.

Why Oak Creek Canyon matters

Fleishman said the canyon is a designated unique waterway in Arizona. Its riparian habitat supports species that do not exist in the surrounding uplands.

"Any kind of riparian habitat, which is vegetation associated with streams, is very unique," Fleishman said. "The habitat is key to that for a lot of different species that don't occur in the uplands. There's also just the scenic value of it and the values at risk from personal property, too."

He warned that if the fire drops into the canyon, post-fire flooding could threaten the area for years afterward.

Residents hold the line

Not everyone evacuated. Tina Reichow, an Oak Creek Canyon resident, stayed near her home as smoke plumes rose above the clouds.

"It looked pretty ominous, and you could see some of the fire behind the clouds," Reichow told FOX 10 Phoenix. "Big giant clouds up north, up the canyon."

She chose not to leave because the fire moved away from her house.

"I'm also grateful for the hot shots cause I know there are seven hot shot groups up there working now," she said. "They're awesome."

"I'm glad to be alive, and I guess to live in a place like this is pretty awesome," Reichow said.

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office escorted some residents and visitors back into the canyon Saturday so they could retrieve camping gear and essential supplies, according to a social media post from the agency.