Brins Fire

The Brins Fire is burning north of Sedona in the Coconino National Forest. The size of the fire has been estimated at 4,222 acres, is approximately 50% contained & costs to date are estimated to be $4.5 million dollars. Evacuations orders were lifted on Wednesday for the north end of Soldiers Pass Road (everything north of Casa Contenta) & upper part of Jordan Road (everything north of Navahopi).

APS has restored power to the entire Oak Creek Canyon area.

The evacuation order continues for Oak Creek Canyon from Midgely Bridge to the fish hatchery in Sterling Canyon (includes homes, businesses & Forest Service campgrounds). This affects an estimated 581 residences & 40 commercial properties. Evacuations are re-evaluated on a daily basis. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office will coordinate temporary shuttles to bring residents into their homes in Oak Creek Canyon during daylight hours. Residents will be allowed approx., 10 minutes to retrieve reasonable items from their homes.

Persons requesting shuttle to their home can go to either roadblock on Hwy 89A: north end at the Oak Creek Canyon Overlook, south end at Red Rock Lodge. Please be prepared to advise officers of the items you plan to retrieve. Residents will be driven to their homes in an authorized vehicle. Residents will be allowed to retrieve a vehicle out of the Canyon. If a request to enter the evacuated area or retrieve items is unreasonable, public safety officials have the right to deny the request. Public safety is the primary concern & if fire conditions change, shuttling may be terminated.

U.S. Highway 89A from Flagstaff south to Halfway Picnic area near Slide Rock is re-opened to residents & business owners only. This portion of Oak Creek Canyon is accessible only through the north. If an emergency situation should occur, the warning system would be activated & Coconino County Sheriff’s officers would contact individuals with further instructions. Oak Creek Canyon & Highway 89A south of the Halfway Picnic Area near Slide Rock to Uptown Sedona will remain closed to all but fire traffic for safety reasons. Law enforcement personnel will be stationed at the picnic area to enforce the road closure. The closure will be re-evaluated on a daily basis & re-opened when the dangers diminish.

Traffic into Oak Creek Canyon north of Sedona along U.S. Highway 89A will be open only to residents & essential traffic starting June 27th, at 5 p.m. Essential traffic is homeowners, business owners, service & emergency vehicles. The Arizona Department of Transportation has determined the highway will be safe for limited traffic at this time. However, fire danger remains high, & closures are possible. U.S. Highway 89A will remain closed to the general public & non-essential traffic to avoid conflicts with current fire traffic & to give residents and business owners time to return to their properties and resume their normal activities.

Persons driving U.S. Highway 89A should drive slowly & with lights on for safety. Be alert for hazardous conditions, such as rocks or debris in the roadway. Do not stop along U.S. Highway 89A in Oak Creek Canyon, except for emergency situations.