Residents of Oak Creek Canyon can now return home as the Pocket Fire, burning north of Sedona, continues its expansion. The fire has grown to 638 acres with no containment yet reported as of Tuesday afternoon.
Efforts to control the blaze include strategic water drops from a large two-rotor helicopter, as shown in a video from the Coconino National Forest. These aerial operations have become critical, especially in areas inaccessible by ground teams.
According to fire spokesperson Dick Fleishman, the air resources are key to managing the fire’s spread. “We’re depending on those air resources up there,” Fleishman explains. “They’re not putting the fire out; they’re kind of trying to keep it in check so our ground forces can make progress with any kind of line construction they need to do.”
In anticipation of upcoming windy conditions, crews are conducting controlled burns on the fire’s western perimeter to curb its advance. This preventative measure has led to an increase in the fire’s overall size.
As the threat of the fire moving northeast remains, protection of structures in Oak Creek Canyon is a priority for firefighting teams.
Several areas within the Coconino National Forest, including popular camping spots like Edge of the World, remain off-limits to the public as firefighting efforts continue.
Updated for additional information at 4:54 p.m. on June 23, 2026.
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