An estimated 1,600 crew members deployed to the Sycamore and Pocket wildfires in Arizona are about to enter an unforgiving weekend for firefighting conditions.
A Red Flag Warning from the National Weather Service is in effect across all of northern Arizona and the Tonto National Forest, where the two fires are burning. This means there is an excess of dry vegetation, gusty winds and low relative humidity.
These conditions make it much more likely that a new fire could start or existing ones could spread.
It’s unwelcome news for fire crews already facing an uphill battle. A lack of safe ground access has made these two firefights difficult from the start.
U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Dick Fleishman says the Pocket Fire is in an especially challenging section of the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness.
“The fire will build up heat at the bottom of the hill and preheat the slope coming up,” says Fleishman, “and that will run up the slope rather rapidly, and this accelerated wind can move it even farther.”
Fleishman says they were anticipating this weekend’s forecast and made sure to proactively burn areas north of the fire to limit uncontrolled spread. But with high winds expected around the clock, this work must stop.
“Our crews are on pins and needles today,” Fleishman said. “It’s a very dynamic situation today and for the next three days.
“Usually winds slow down at night. It’s not really supposed to slow down at night very much. So we have a day shift and night shift, and they’ll be vigilant for any kind of spots that come out of this thing.”
Red flag conditions are expected to continue through Sunday, and Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in place across much of the state.
Fleishman recommends residents prepare go bags and clear their yards of any potential fuels, even in areas without an active fire.
“Have a go bag,” Fleishman said. “Clean around your house, too, if you have a bunch of dry grass up against your house, actually outside of Phoenix — anywhere in Phoenix, where you have a lot of non-native grasses that burn very rapidly.”
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