Pocket Fire’s Rapid Growth Sparks Anxiety in Kachina Village
The residents of Kachina Village are on edge as a growing cloud of smoke looms over the Shell gas station, signaling the rapid expansion of the Pocket Fire. This blaze has swelled in size, creeping toward communities south of Flagstaff.
Locals expressed unease over a potential evacuation as Kachina Village, Forest Highlands, and Pine Del remain on “Set” status, just a step away from mandatory evacuation. Fire officials noted that the fire had expanded to over 11,000 acres by Monday morning, despite the intentional burning of thousands of acres to manage the fire. It remains at 0% containment.
Cheyenne Grabiec, a Kachina Village resident, compared the Pocket Fire to previous incidents like the 2014 Slide Fire, stating, “It feels a little scarier, just because the wind we’ve had the last few days, and just how dry it’s been.” Grabiec, who is prepared to evacuate to a friend’s house in downtown Flagstaff, expressed frustration after his insurance company warned it wouldn’t cover his house due to its location in a wildfire danger zone.
Rhonda Gutierrez, an employee at the Shell, has been planning her evacuation strategy while noting growing concern among customers. “I was changing the trashes, and someone in [a] truck said, ‘Are you evacuating now? You know, you got the go status.’ … So I checked inside, and my coworker said, ‘No, we’re on set status,’” Gutierrez explained.
Triston Herrick, another Shell employee, recently invested in a mobile home in Kachina Village but couldn’t secure fire insurance due to its age. “It’s terrifying. I mean, you save up for years and try to get some somewhere in life, and then something like this happens,” he said.
As some residents begin to leave Kachina Village, others are determined to stay until the fire approaches their doorstep. Herrick noted, “They’ve used the term, ‘I’m going down with my ship, I’m not going to leave until I see the fire is immediately on my doorstep. I’m going to be prepared, but I’m not leaving until it’s here.’”
While the Pocket Fire poses a threat of moving closer to Flagstaff, officials anticipate a reduction in critical wildfire conditions this week.
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