{"id":3042,"date":"2026-07-04T04:33:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T04:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3042"},"modified":"2026-07-04T04:33:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T04:33:37","slug":"pocket-fire-could-take-months-to-fully-contain-officials-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3042","title":{"rendered":"Pocket Fire could take months to fully contain, officials say"},"content":{"rendered":"

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 The Pocket Fire has burned more than 24,100 acres north of Sedona going into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, and two weeks after the fire sparked, firefighters have 31% containment.<\/p>

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People in the area near Earls Tank and Seven Canyons Golf Club have been told to be prepared to evacuate. For an evacuation status map, click or tap here.<\/p>

Fire officials said the fight is a long way from being over. Because of the terrain, the most challenging part of the fire needs a heavy monsoon to fully put it out. <\/p>

People celebrated during the community meeting in Sedona Thursday night as firefighters gained ground on the Pocket Fire. <\/p>

Dick Fleishman, with the incident command team, said they still need more containment.<\/p>

He said the north edge of the fire is looking good, but the real problem is the southern side. <\/p>

\u201cFor 100% contained, yeah, it\u2019s probably going to be months,\u201d Fleishman said. \u201cThis burning down here we\u2019re not going to put that out because we\u2019re not going to be able to directly engage.\u201d<\/p>

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That\u2019s where the terrain is too rugged for firefighters to get in on the ground, so they\u2019ve been hitting it from the air. Fleishman said it\u2019s going to take a good monsoon storm to fully extinguish the flames. <\/p>

However, last year\u2019s monsoon was well below average. <\/p>

\u201cWhat happens if the monsoon is delayed significantly,\u201d a woman asked during the community meeting.<\/p>

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\u201cIf the fire\u2019s here and burning, and we\u2019re going to keep fighting it,\u201d a fire official said. <\/p>

Fire officials also acknowledged the heavy smoke, which has created hazardous air quality in Flagstaff, but it\u2019s also aiding firefighters.<\/p>

\u201cThe smoke is actually acting like a cloudy day,\u201d Fleishman said. \u201cIt actually keeps the temperature down so we\u2019re not getting direct heat on the fuels.\u201d<\/p>

He added people should still come up for the Fourth of July holiday as local businesses rely on the tourism revenue. He urged visitors and campers to be fire-safe.<\/p>

\u201cPlease, I know it\u2019s the 250th anniversary, but no fireworks,\u201d Fleishman said. \u201cI\u2019ve been on multiple firework fires before; this is not the time for fireworks.\u201d<\/p>