Overview
- The Pocket Fire ignited about seven miles north of Sedona and began Friday, June 19, prompting mandatory GO evacuations for Oak Creek Canyon and nearby dispersed camping sites.
- Incident command reported the fire at about 293 acres with 0% containment in a June 21 update while some local outlets have cited larger estimates, creating an acreage discrepancy.
- Managers have deployed roughly 302 personnel, multiple hotshot crews, engines, dozers and heavy air support that treated about 90% of the area with retardant, but steep, hazardous terrain limits direct ground attack.
- Public safety measures include a 23‑mile closure of State Route 89A between Sedona and Fort Tuthill, a Temporary Flight Restriction, closure of Lake Mary as an aircraft water source, and an evacuation shelter at Red Rock High School.
- The cause remains under investigation and fires managers warn that hot, dry, gusty conditions and canyon winds keep growth potential high, raising short‑term risks to residents, travel and the local tourism economy; the area previously burned in the 2014 Slide Fire.