Inside the Pocket Fire with Dick Fleishman from the NFS

The Pocket Fire north of Sedona has become one of Arizona's most challenging wildfire incidents, and today we're joined by Dick Fleishman with Southwest Area Incident Management Team 2 for a comprehensive update. We discuss how and where the fire started, why rugged wilderness terrain has made suppression so difficult, and what firefighters are doing to slow its advance. Dick explains the massive firefighting effort, including nearly a thousand personnel at the height of operations, the critical role of helicopters and large air tankers, and why burnout operations are being used to build defensive firelines ahead of the main fire. We also cover the latest weather forecast, how Red Flag conditions and outflow winds continue to influence fire behavior, what communities should know about Ready, Set, Go evacuation notifications, and whether the incident is tracking as fire managers expected. If you live in Northern Arizona—or simply want an inside look at how large wildfires are managed—this is an informative conversation from the front lines of the Pocket Fire.