Overview
- The blaze that began on June 19 has grown to about 20,680 acres and is roughly 21% contained as of July 2, with incident command reporting about 1,054 personnel assigned to suppression efforts.
- Evacuation alerts were adjusted: Kachina Village, Forest Highlands and Pine Del were downgraded from SET to READY while Oak Creek Canyon remains on SET status, and State Route 89A is closed to non-local traffic.
- Fire managers are relying on indirect tactics such as burnouts, airtankers, helicopters and heavy equipment because strong winds and steep, dry canyons have produced long-range ember spotting that makes direct line work unsafe.
- Smoke and ash have degraded air quality across northern Arizona, prompting a High Pollution Advisory for Flagstaff and hurting local tourism and businesses while health officials urge vulnerable residents to avoid exposure.
- The cause remains under investigation and officials plan public briefings, including a July 2 community meeting in Sedona that will be livestreamed, as crews continue planned operations to tie the fire to containment lines.