Road access was limited in the Oracle, AZ area shortly after the start of the Cody Fire on May 21, 2025. Photo by Joellen Brown
The Tri-Community has had two recent fires centered in or around the town of Oracle. Oracle Fire District personnel were joined by Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, along with CERT and Firewise volunteers, at the Firewise meeting in Oracle on June 11, 2025. Community members were also in attendance. The recent Cedar and Cody fires were discussed. There will not be too many quotes or statistics presented here. This is more about the thoughts and ideas discussed after the recent fire events.
The Cedar Fire, a small wildfire reported near Oracle, Arizona, was contained and the area was back to a “READY” status in a relatively short order. The fire, which started on May 20, 2025, burned approximately 10 acres. While the fire was initially a large concern, it had been successfully contained by firefighters and the threat to the community was reduced rapidly. Federal, State and local first responders were on scene rather quickly due to pre-planned area readiness and general concern for the fire dangers in our local area. Many of those agencies were still in the area on May 21, 2025. This fact probably saved a great deal of land and property, as well as life.
The Cody Fire started after 3 p.m. on May 21, 2025, in the area of Cody Loop. It was only minutes afterwards that areas in Oracle and beyond were announced to be evacuated, “GO!” and prepare for evacuation, “SET!” The Bighorn Fire of 2020 decimated the Catalinas, and many are concerned about the dry fuels and drought conditions that could lead to a similar fire now. Decision-makers based rapid assessments on erratic fire behavior, winds and the dry conditions as seen by boots-on-the-ground to avoid widespread catastrophes.
Almost instantaneous firefighting, aircraft deployment, and resource requests occurred. Experience and previous networking between various levels of government allowed for a multi-faceted approach to what still turned into a catastrophic event. Homes and structures were lost very quickly. At the time of this writing no known human fatalities occurred. Helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft dropped approximately 70,000 gallons of fire suppressant in the first two days. Some said it looked like an airshow as multiple aircraft circled over Oracle for as long as the wind and light let them.
Crews on the ground were going all-in to suppress the fire directly. An Arizona Department of Corrections crew began back-burns along the Arizona Trail to take away fuel that could have led the fire towards San Manuel. Winds and terrain took the fire in a curved pattern that took it past American Flag and then over towards Campo Bonito where more crews fought back the flames. The fire jumped roads as it moved rapidly forward. Local, State and Federal wildland firefighters must have looked like well-organized ants from the aircraft above.
Oracle CERT and Firewise volunteers worked tirelessly to take care of the members of the community that many call home. Emergency shelters for people and animals were established at nearby locations. First responders and other volunteers spent countless hours taking care of the fire and those affected. Law enforcement patrolled the area and maintained roadblocks. Contractors moved dirt onto roads so that people were able to leave their neighborhoods safely
The Cody Fire rages near Oracle. Photo by Bob Alberti (albatross.org)
The Cody Fire was listed at 1,223 acres and was 95% contained per the National Interagency Fire Center as of June 3, 2025. It was turned back over to local authorities after multiple repairs, mediation and assessments were completed by crews onsite. Utility companies were able to replace power poles and lines as they reestablished power to areas that had lost it during the fire.
Many folks chose not to evacuate for several reasons. Some did not see any danger. Others were not prepared when the evacuation orders began. There are most certainly more reasons and justifications that might make someone stay. First responders are not able to forcibly remove someone from their residence and still must be aware of that person’s safety even if they do not agree with the decision to stay.
Others chose to come into the area for whatever reason. Looky-loos, trend setters, online reporters and more found ways into the fire area while it was still active so that images and thoughts could be shared on social media. There are even stories of delivery companies arriving at homes in the evacuation areas. Where there is a will there is a way.
A lot of armchair quarterbacking always follows an event of this magnitude. Why didn’t they use this company? Why didn’t they tell us more about what was going on? Why did it take so long? The list goes on. Here are some things to counter those thoughts. It could be that the company or organization is not a vetted and certified organization with state and federal emergency response. They did hold daily updates online and on social media. The rest of the time they were fighting a fire and protecting people and property. The fire took on a life of its own and the experts did not want to call it safe until they truly believed it to be that way.
In the end it would be safe to say that the area dodged a bullet. It was a catastrophic event that could have been much worse. Responders took the appropriate steps to keep the damages to an absolute minimum. Steps and training completed before these fires were essential in a team type approach. Incident Command is a template that first responders utilize in an emergency to keep everyone participating on the same page and knowledgeable about the current situation and future plans. Much of this could be seen during the daily briefings. The cause of both fires is under investigation by federal fire staff.
Yes, more can be done. Oracle has a very successful Firewise program. Communities such as Mammoth and San Manuel would be well advised to follow their lead. Members of San Manuel Revitalization Coalition and Oracle Firewise discussed plans to share questions and ideas about the Firewise program soon. It would be a positive step if members of the community were willing to participate in the program. The fire districts of Mammoth and San Manuel are certainly up to the task. It is hoped that a community meeting will be held soon to further address this idea for San Manuel.