State Representatives Quang Nguyen and Selina Bliss (R-LD1) met Sunday with Pocket Fire incident command at the Sedona Airport air operations base as the wind-driven wildfire north of Sedona continued to grow and threaten nearby communities.
The Pocket Fire had burned 5,547 acres as of Sunday morning, with 871 personnel assigned to the incident. The fire was first reported June 19 about seven miles north of Sedona and is burning in steep, rugged terrain that limits where crews can safely attack it directly. By mid-Monday, the fire had grown to 11,192 acres with zero percent containment.
The fire more than doubled in size between Saturday evening and Sunday morning as strong winds pushed it northeast. Fire crews shifted resources toward threatened communities and continued using bulldozers and other heavy equipment to build defensive lines. By Monday, the blaze had roughly doubled again.
Coconino County’s Pocket Fire information page said the fire began on June 19 on the Coconino National Forest, is burning in difficult-to-access terrain, and is expected to remain active for several weeks. The county listed Oak Creek Canyon, Kachina Village, Forest Highlands and Pine Del under SET evacuation status and encouraged residents susceptible to smoke to take precautions.
As of Sunday afternoon, Oak Creek Canyon Zones 14 and 15, Kachina Village and Forest Highlands remained under SET status. State Route 89A remained closed to nonlocal traffic between Sedona and Interstate 17, and portions of the Coconino National Forest remained closed.
Nguyen and Bliss requested the briefing to hear directly from incident command, determine whether additional state assistance is needed, and provide residents with current information. Fire officials thanked Yavapai County, Coconino County, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and other agencies assisting with the response.
“This is our district, and we have a duty to know where the threat is moving, what crews need and whether the state can do more,” Nguyen said. “We came to hear directly from incident command and see the operation firsthand. The men and women fighting this fire are working in dangerous conditions, and we stand ready to help secure any state resources they need.”
Bliss urged residents in SET areas to prepare before conditions worsen.
“SET means prepare now, not later,” Bliss said. “Pack medications, important documents and supplies. Account for family members and pets. Know where you will go, monitor official alerts and leave immediately if ordered. Do not wait for GO status to start preparing.”
Coconino County Emergency Management ordered activation of the county Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Friday due to critical fire weather in connection with the Pocket Fire and to assist with an APS Public Safety Power Shutoff. The county said the EOC provides support and coordination for multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional emergencies affecting residents, businesses, property, and infrastructure.
The U.S. Forest Service said earlier in the incident that resources assigned to the Pocket Fire included Hotshot crews, engines, helicopters, air attack, and other firefighting assets, with the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 2 ordered to assume command after initial response by a Northern Arizona Type 3 Incident Management Team.
Nguyen and Bliss also honored three federal firefighters killed Saturday in a burnover incident while assigned to the Knowles and Gore fires near the Colorado-Utah border. Two other firefighters were injured.
“The deaths of three firefighters this weekend are a painful reminder of the dangers wildland firefighters face to protect others,” Nguyen and Bliss said. “We mourn them, pray for the injured and remember the six lost in the Dude Fire and the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots. At the height of fire season, the public must do its part: obey restrictions, prepare early and never interfere with crews on the line.”
Coconino County has activated a Pocket Fire call center for questions about the fire, shelters or evacuation stages at 928-679-8525. County officials also said areas of Coconino County within and adjacent to the Coconino National Forest moved to Stage 2 fire restrictions effective Tuesday, June 30, at 8 a.m..
Officials urged residents to monitor Coconino County Emergency Management, Coconino National Forest, InciWeb, and AZ511 for current fire, evacuation, closure, and road information. They also warned the public not to fly drones near the fire because unauthorized aircraft can ground firefighting planes and helicopters.
Don’t you want to live in a crime-free utopia? Wouldn’t allowing the government to track our every move, solve all our problems? Local authorities seem to think so, and they have the perfect tool to usher in mass surveillance in your city: Flock cameras. Flock Safety is one of the main manufacturers of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) that have been quietly taking over cities and have already infiltrated nearly every state. These cameras monitor cars and even pedestrians constantly, logging minute details about every vehicle that passes, storing the data in Flock’s database, and feeding it into an AI platform with the capability of stitching together elaborate travel patterns. No court-issued warrant is required – not even public consent – creating massive privacy concerns for residents who often don’t know they are being watched until these cameras have saturated their community.
According to Flock’s own website, they cover 49 states, over 5,000 communities, partner with more than 4,800 law enforcement agencies, and read upwards of 20 billion license plates per month. Though law enforcement agencies are one of the primary users of these devices stated to reduce crime, cities, businesses, and even HOAs are also deploying them in residential areas.
You might think, “We don’t have these in our town.” But sometimes these cameras show up without public approval…
What began in August as a temporary pause on Sedona’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) program has now become a full termination. At its September 9 regular meeting, the Sedona City Council voted unanimously to sever its contract with Flock Safety and remove all ALPR cameras from city limits. The vote came under agenda item AB 3261, which had originally been slated for discussion of a possible citizen working group to review policies surrounding the technology. Instead, council members chose to end the program outright, citing concerns over transparency, trust, and civil liberties.
The decision builds on the council’s August 24 action, when members voted 5–1 to deactivate 11 cameras already installed and block the installation of a twelfth. At that time, the program was effectively frozen while staff compiled a timeline of its approval and explored potential safeguards through a future citizen advisory group.
By early September, however, new information came to light about Flock’s federal partnerships. The company acknowledged limited pilot programs with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations, contradicting earlier statements to city officials that no data-sharing was occurring. That disclosure, coupled with weeks of strong public opposition, prompted the council to move from pause to permanent shutdown.
Council members expressed frustration that the technology had been introduced without a broader policy conversation about its implications. “This began as a handful of people who viewed these license plate readers as a modern policing tool,” one member said. “But what was missed was the question of whether we should be collecting and storing data on innocent people.”
While several members noted that ALPRs have proven useful in other communities, the combination of mistrust in the vendor and unease about federal access to local data swayed the body toward termination. “The only way to ensure data is not shared or abused is to not have it,” another council member remarked.
The unanimous vote represents a shift from the August meeting, when Mayor Scott Jablow supported continuing the program and Vice Mayor Holli Ploog was absent. This time, all members aligned in favor of ending the city’s relationship with Flock and removing the cameras.
The debate has mirrored national disputes over surveillance technology. As reported in the August 24 article, communities from Arkansas to New York have raised similar objections, with residents warning of potential erosion of civil liberties. In Sedona, residents filled inboxes with emails and spoke at public forums, urging leaders to prioritize privacy over surveillance.
The council’s decision closes the door—at least for now—on the use of ALPRs in Sedona. Members left open the possibility that the issue could be revisited in future years if public attitudes or technology practices change but stressed that significant shifts would be necessary before reconsideration.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, announced this week it has asked the City of Sedona to “review and revise” the Sedona Police Department’s warning shot policy. The group says the policy could have officers committing felonies.
The organization requested the review and revision of the SPD policy, according to a letter released by Judicial Watch Southwest Projects Coordinator Mark Spencer, a 25-year veteran, former Phoenix police officer, and former President of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association.
In the letter, Spencer cited potential conflicts with A.R.S. §13-3107, known as Shannon’s Law, as well as standards set by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST).
Judicial Watch Requests Review of Sedona Police Department's Warning Shot Policy SEDONA, Ariz. — Judicial Watch Inc. has requested the City of Sedona to review and revise the Sedona Police Department's (SPD) warning shot policy, citing potential conflicts with Arizona state law… pic.twitter.com/WNmuJDgiMl
Judicial Watch reported in its statement that the organization’s intervention began with a public records request (PRR) to Sedona City Manager Annette Spickard regarding the SPD’s warning shot policy on July 28th. But according to the group, the request for records was not fully complied with:
“Judicial Watch sought various SPD documents, including training records, policy manuals, and communications related to the use of warning shots. However, many of the requested documents were not provided or available.
The responsive documents included 26 emails, which revealed a timeline of events and issues related to the warning shot policy. Notably, on April 18, 2023, an email indicated that a revised policy manual for SPD was under consideration, which included and allowed warning shots. Subsequent emails showed ongoing evaluations and suggestions for policy revisions, with some recommendations to exclude warning shots.”
According to Shannon’s Law, “A person who with criminal negligence discharges a firearm within or into the limits of any municipality is guilty of a class 6 felony.”
Judicial Watch cautioned that the use of a warning shot under current SPD policy could constitute a criminally negligent discharge under Shannon’s Law, making the officer following the policy guilty of a class 6 felony.
In the text of the letter, Spencer noted that among the 26 responsive emails received by Judicial Watch, “An email indicated that a revised policy manual for SPD was under consideration. “Warning shots” were acknowledged, included, and allowed in the policy. Within this email, it was also stated, “Officers are taught during their academy training aboutreasonable force, deadly force, warning shots (emphasis added), when and how to use non-deadly weapons, and when and how to use deadly force and firearms.”
Conversely, in a later email from Sedona’s outside legal counsel, Eric Edwards, policy revisions were submitted for the SPD officer’s manual addressing the use of “Warning Shots.” Edwards reiterated in the formal police policy that “Officers are taught during their academy training about… Warning Shots.” He then makes the following change in policy by suggesting, “Officers will not…Generally, fire warning shots.”
Spencer concluded, “Judicial Watch expressed concerns that the current policy may conflict with A.R.S. §13-3107, also known as Shannon’s Law, which could classify the use of warning shots as a class 6 felony. Additionally, they questioned the accuracy and consistency of the policy with AZPOST (State law enforcement certification agency) and other law enforcement standards. Judicial Watch has requested the City Council and City Manager to consider revising the SPD policy to eliminate the use of warning shots. They have indicated their intention to make a formal complaint to the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) and the Arizona Attorney General’s office if the policy is not revised.”
As of this report, the City of Sedona has made no official statement regarding the Judicial Watch request.
The Sedona City Council recently voted to indefinitely shut down the city’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) program after weeks of debate over privacy, surveillance, and public safety.
At a recent special session, council members Melissa Dunn, Kathy Kinsella, Brian Fultz, Pete Furman, and Derek J. Pfaff directed city staff and police to deactivate the 11 Flock Safety cameras already installed, with one additional device awaiting installation. Mayor Scott Jablow opposed the move, while Vice Mayor Holli Ploog was absent. Roughly 50 residents attended the meeting, at times voicing strong objections to the technology.
The decision halts Sedona’s partnership with Flock Group, Inc., which had equipped the city with ALPRs to scan and log vehicle license plates as part of law enforcement investigations. Until the shutdown, only Sedona Police Department Patrol Cmdr. Chris Dowell had access to the system.
Supporters of the technology argue that ALPRs provide a valuable investigative tool, helping law enforcement identify stolen vehicles, track suspects, and improve public safety. Dowell emphasized that the cameras were not designed for broad surveillance.
“ALPR is not a mass surveillance tool; it is a focused, objective investigative asset governed by strict data retention policies and transparency protocols,” Dowell said. He noted that data collected in Sedona was stored for 30 days and that “hot list” entries—license plates flagged for criminal investigation—required supervisory approval.
But critics say the cameras still sweep up information on every passing car, raising concerns that the technology could erode civil liberties. Flock representatives acknowledged that the system can capture more than just plates—such as bumper stickers or other vehicle features—details that, while seemingly minor, could reveal political beliefs or personal affiliations.
Groups like Privacy International define “mass surveillance” as any system that collects and stores data on individuals without suspicion of wrongdoing. Civil liberties advocates warn that such technology risks normalizing constant monitoring.
The debate in Sedona echoes national concerns. In Arkansas, one homeowner recently protested a Flock camera he said photographed his property and family members, sparking a legal debate over Fourth Amendment protections. Similarly, in Scarsdale, N.Y., local officials terminated their Flock contract after residents objected to what they described as an invasive surveillance system.
Following the decision, Sedona city staff were instructed to compile a timeline of how the program was approved, establish a citizen work group, and return with recommendations for a possible pilot program that balances safety with privacy protections.
For now, the cameras will remain in place but powered off, as the community considers whether their benefits outweigh the costs to civil liberties.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
