Pocket Fire Containment Progresses Amid Changing Conditions
On Thursday morning, crews working to contain the Pocket Fire near Sedona reported significant progress, with 69% of the fire now under control. Despite these advancements, efforts are ongoing to fully manage the situation.
Recent updates from incident managers highlight that fire activity was minimal on the northern and southern boundaries Wednesday night. However, variable winds were anticipated to pose new challenges on Thursday.
Firefighters have successfully maintained secure fire lines above Oak Creek Canyon, deploying aircraft to assist in inaccessible areas like West Fork Canyon. Continuous patrolling of control lines on the northern side is planned to ensure their integrity.
While the Enchantment and Seven Canyons resorts are currently safe, they, along with Oak Creek Canyon residents, remain under a Set notification status, indicating readiness to evacuate if necessary.
The southwestern perimeter of the fire, particularly near Hart Well Canyon in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness, remains active. Firefighters are constructing handlines and contingency lines here to strengthen defenses and safeguard heritage sites and other vital areas.
Smoke levels have decreased as fire activity has lessened, leading to predictions of good to moderate air quality in regions like Kachina Village, Flagstaff, Cameron, and Doney Park through the end of the week. However, the Seven Canyons and Sedona areas may experience periods of unhealthy air quality due to residual smoke.
The Pocket Fire, which ignited on June 19, has been burning for nearly three weeks and has consumed 27,451 acres to date.
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