Firefighters continued burning forest land northwest of the Pocket Fire in preparation for high winds expected to begin on Friday.
That pushed the size of the fire about seven miles north of Sedona to more than 1,180 acres. It’s 0% contained.
The National Weather Service is forecasting 40 to 50-mile-an-hour wind gusts across the region through the weekend.
Fire officials say winds like that could easily pick up embers from the burning, steep slopes and start fires behind their containment lines.
Fire spokesperson Dick Fleishman says that’s why crews have burned so much of the area west of the blaze.
“This is going to test us and it's going to be pins and needles for everyone,” Fleishman says. “But that’s why we started lighting these fires days in advance. So we're just kind of creating a catcher's mitt for when it starts throwing us embers.”
Fleishman says they don’t want the fire to breach the Mogollon Rim on its western flank. If it does, the fire could begin moving towards Flagstaff.
On the eastern edge of the blaze, closest to Oak Creek Canyon, Fleishman says the fire has been less active.
“We fly infrared flights and that east side has very little heat close to the line. That doesn't mean these winds won't kick something up and push it that way,” Fleishman says.
But he says it’s still an encouraging sign going into the weekend.
Fire managers will provide information on the Pocket Fire during an event in Flagstaff at Sinagua Middle School at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The event will also be livestreamed on the Coconino National Forest Facebook page.
Residents of Oak Creek Canyon remain on “Set” status and should be prepared to evacuate if needed.
State Route 89-A and the area around the fire are still closed to the public.
