{"id":2745,"date":"2026-06-29T18:34:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T18:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=2745"},"modified":"2026-06-29T18:34:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T18:34:46","slug":"pocket-fire-continues-to-grow-burning-11k-acres-in-northern-arizona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=2745","title":{"rendered":"Pocket Fire continues to grow, burning 11k+ acres in northern Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEDONA, AZ (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 The Pocket Fire burning north of Sedona nearly quadrupled in size over the weekend. <\/p>

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As of Monday morning, it had scorched more than 11,100 acres west of Oak Creek Canyon and remains 0% contained.<\/p>

Fire officials say strong winds have carried embers up to a mile ahead of the flames, so crews are conducting burnouts to remove fuel in targeted areas.<\/p>

Burnouts are a tactic that firefighters say can slow the fire\u2019s spread more quickly by using fuel and will cause less damage to the landscape compared to dozers and hand tools.<\/p>

People living in Kachina Village, Forest Highlands, Pine Del 99, and Oak Creek Canyon are under SET evacuation status, and 89A is closed to everyone but those residents. <\/p>

The weekend red flag warnings not only helped fuel the flames but also pushed the smoke to other areas across the high country. <\/p>

A high pollution advisory is in effect for the Flagstaff area Monday and Tuesday.<\/p>

Almost a thousand people are fighting to contain the fire, but because of the dry vegetation, wind and steep terrain, it\u2019s been an uphill battle. <\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s challenging,\u201d said Dick Fleishman, who\u2019s with the U.S. Forest Service incident command team. \u201cIt\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>

Kachina Village residents pack belongings <\/h2>

Residents of Kachina Village spent Sunday packing valuables and preparing for a possible evacuation.<\/p>

Resident Lexi Wahl focused on sentimental items \u2014 baby clothes, her grandpa\u2019s camera, boxes of family photos \u2014 as she loaded belongings into a friend\u2019s pickup truck.<\/p>

\u201cMonetary value, in that sense, doesn\u2019t mean too much to me, but you leave one thing there and you\u2019ll never see it again,\u201d Wahl said.<\/p>

Another resident, Shira Itogawa, described a methodical strategy for packing.<\/p>

\u201cGet the essentials, if you have time get a little bit more than the essentials, if you have time get a little bit more than that,\u201d Itogawa said.<\/p>

Itogawa said she is familiar with wildfire loss. Her home burned in the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego. She said the current situation brought back memories.<\/p>

Read more Police: Scottsdale brothers attack, shoot rival player after recreational baseball game<\/a><\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of flashing back on memories, I know the orange sky pretty well,\u201d Itogawa said.<\/p>

Despite the threat, Itogawa said she was taking a cautious but measured approach.<\/p>

\u201cI don\u2019t expect us to actually burn, but I\u2019d rather have stuff out and not burn than have all of it lost again,\u201d she said.<\/p>

Coconino County Officials ask residents to sign up for the county\u2019s emergency notification system to receive the most up-to-date information on evacuation orders. Click here for more information.<\/p>