The Pocket Fire burning north of Sedona reached 638 acres as of Tuesday afternoon and is still 0% contained.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office gave Oak Creek Canyon residents the okay to return home this morning.
A video shared by the Coconino National Forest shows a large two-rotor helicopter dumping water onto burning steep slopes.
Fire spokesperson Dick Fleishman says the aircraft are an important tool when crews can’t access a fire from the ground.
“We’re depending on those air resources up there,” Fleishman says. “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.”
Fleishman says crews are burning the forest on the fire’s western side in an effort to get ahead of windy conditions expected later this week.
Those efforts increased the overall size of the fire significantly.
In Oak Creek Canyon, crews are focused on protecting structures in case the fire spreads northeast.
Parts of the Coconino National Forest around the fire remain closed as firefighters work in the area, including popular dispersed camping areas such as Edge of the World.
Updated for additional information at 4:54 p.m. on June 23, 2026.
