Yavapai County puts Seven Canyons in ‘SET’ status as Pocket Fire grows to 25,160 acres19 min read

July 4, 2026

A Sikorsky S-61 Sea King reloads water from a "pumpkin" at Seven Canyons on Friday, July 3. Helicopters are arriving empty and departing with loads of water every 5 to 10 minutes, Seven Canyons resident Rex Arrasmith stated. Photo courtesy of Rex Arrasmith

Update on July 4, Independence Day
Official Acreage: 25,160
Start Date: June 19, first reported a 5:01 p.m.
Location: 7 miles north of Sedona
Cause: Undetermined
Personnel: 1,089
Fuels: Timber and Brush
Containment: 31%

The Pocket Fire puts up three distinct smoke columns on July 3, 2026

Seven Canyon moves to “SET” evacuation status

Due to the Pocket Fire, a “SET” status has was issued for the Seven Canyons area by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office at 3:38 p.m. Friday, July 3. YCSO deputies have closed the intersection of Boynton Pass and Long Canyon to non-residents. Avoid the Dry Creek area.

SET Status for YCU-1193, the Seven Canyons, located northwest of Sedona. Gather essential supplies. Prepare to evacuate. Check Website https://go.genasys.com/s8t2fd

Highlights of the Pocket Fire on July 4:

California Interagency Complex Incident Management Team 6 will assume command of the Pocket Fire Sunday morning, July 5. There will be no break in operations.

On Thursday, July 2, the Pocket Fire grew to over 21,138 acres, and over the course of the day, grew larger than the 21,227-acre Slide Fire in Oak Creek Canyon in 2014. Both are still less than a trird of the size of the 78,065-acre Rafael Fire that burned to the west of these blazes in 2021.

Weather: The forecast for today calls for highs in the 80s at higher elevations and upper 90s near Sedona. Skies will be partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon. Thunderstorms could bring lightning and strong, unpredictable outflow winds. Humidity will remain low. Temperatures will continue to climb for the next few days.

Operations: Friday, on the northwest part of the fire, crews continued to monitor the established control lines and they are held overnight. In West Fork Canyon, helicopter drops kept the fire from advancing. In the Barney Spring area, crews extended handline across landscape that dozers are unable to access.

Along the south edge of the fire, much of the primary line was buttoned up. Crews continued working on contingency lines. Crews closely monitored Maroon Mountain to ensure the fire that was dropping down its face did not become established at its base.

Retardant drops in Secret Canyon and on Secret Mo untain gave ground crews time to put in some new line and reinforce existing trails to build firelines across the mountaintop.

Today, some of the resources no longer needed across the northern part of the fire will be reallocated to the south.

Delay tactics will be used to slow progression of the fire down West Fork Canyon and more handline will be built in the Barney Spring area. Both actions are meant to keep fire from approaching Oak Creek Canyon.

Across the south end of the fire, efforts towards stopping the fire backing down Bear Sign Canyon and flanking across Secret Mountain will continue. As a contingency, crews will extend fireline along the powerlines to the southwest. Crews are also looking at roads and natural features to develop other contingency lines in that area. Monitoring of previously secured lines will continue in all areas. Structure group will continue work building defensible spaces and reinforce protections in Seven Canyons and Enchantment. Initial Attack will stand ready to suppress any new starts in the area and will continue assisting Arizona Department of Transportation in removing hazard trees along the State Route 89A corridor. Roads group is beginning to repair roads along contained perimeter of the fire in the north.

Sedona airspace continues to be busy with firefighting aircraft of all types

Aircraft will support in all areas of the fire.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect over the fire area. For more information, visit: tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_9455. If you fly, we can’t!

Four helicopters (in yellow circles) coordinate coming into Seven Canyons to reload with water, on Monday, June 29. Photo by V. Allen

Evacuations and Closures: The Yavapai County Sheriff (928-771-3260) has put the zone containing Seven Canyons in SET status. The map is available at shorturl.at/eTtJC.

Coconino County Pocket Fire information page, including an evacuation map, is at: coconino.az.gov/pocketfire.

The call center is at 928-679-8525. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is at: 928-774-4523. Coconino National Forest has implemented Stage 2 Fire Restrictions.

Pocket Fire in relation to Sedona area landmarks (Photo from June 30)

A portion of the forest remains closed. For more details, visit: shorturl.at/fCDMc.

Sections of state Route 89A and Woody Mountain Road (Forest Road 231) are closed. Residents of Oak Creek Canyon need to enter the canyon from the south. For exact road closure locations, visit: az511.com.

For information on the READY, SET, GO! evacuation system, visit: ein.az.gov/ready-set-go.

Safety:

The area has experienced air quality from “Very Unhealthy” to “Good.” This can change from hour to hour, so the public should remain vigilant. For information, visit outlooks.airfire.org/outlook/760194b8.

Crews and heavy equipment remain very active in the area. Authorized motorists should drive cautiously around switchbacks and blind curves as fire traffic and large vehicles will have an increased presence on the road.