You are right, it is terribly dry and rain has been sparse at best(except for 98 which seemed much more rainy to me than usual). I hate to say, but this fire will be even harder to contain than the Colorado fire because the conditions are so ripe for it.
Current plans are trying to stay alive and NOT in front of it, and "letting" it burn north across the Rim country, until it gets far enough north to run out of pine. Once it's in low brush area, pft! No fuel.
Hold on to those memories. It'll be a long while.
Remember the old Zane Grey cabin?