Residents in the vicinity of Sedona, Arizona, can breathe a sigh of relief as the Woods Fire has been declared fully contained. The fire, which had sparked on August 13 just two miles east of the Village of Oak Creek, has affected approximately 59 acres of land. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, the initial evacuation preparedness orders for some residents, indicated by a "SET" status, have been lifted as the threat has subsided.
During the events of the Woods Fire, Lance Wischmeier, a local who has experienced the proximity of past fires, remained calm. "We've definitely got that good old campfire smell going on," Wischmeier commented, recalling that he noticed smoke around midday before the flames became evident, as he told FOX 10 Phoenix. In a show of community spirit, he was one of several citizens reaching out to emergency services and even offered his pool water for firefighting efforts.
In another part of the region, the Coconino National Forest has announced the containment of the Coldwater Fire, situated south of Clint's Well. Firefighters have stopped the forward progress of this separate incident and have secured a perimeter with a bulldozer line. As reported by Arizona Daily Sun, the Coldwater Fire spanned 19.5 acres—smaller than the initial 30-acre estimation.
While fires such as these fuel memories of past blazes, like the La Barranca Fire of 2006, residents like Wischmeier hold on to a seasoned readiness, perhaps, lending to the solidarity in times of upheaval. "We actually had to re-stucco the side of our house that faced his house because all the beadboard that's normally an inch thick under the stucco melted down to an eighth of an inch," he recounted to FOX 10 Phoenix, referencing the harrowing aftermath of the 2006 incident. Persisting uncertainties, such as the cause of the Woods Fire, remain as of yet undisclosed.
