Oak Ridge Fire near the Navajo Nation capital in northern Arizona burns nearly 2K acres

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10 hours ago

Shawn Bia sat with his family inside the Window Rock Fighting Scouts Events Center in Fort Defiance, sharing a meal they were given as they worried about their home, located just five miles from the Oak Ridge Fire.
Bia, along with his wife and their six children, managed to evacuate to the events center, where volunteers and staff from the Navajo Nation's executive and legislative branches were setting up cots for other evacuees. The fire, when it began June 28, was located roughly 4 miles south of Summit Road in the community of St. Michaels—about 10 minutes west of Window Rock.
"I was going to haul some water, and I saw a plume of smoke. Just a small plume, I didn't think anything about it, but when I came back it stopped so I thought it was a small brush fire," said Bia, who lives 4 to 5 miles west of the fire. "I went back down a second time, and coming back up it was a lot bigger...It started getting larger and then it became a big black puff of smoke. I couldn't see the sun at all. The haze and red light was all around us."
As of the early afternoon on June 29, the seemingly small fire had burned at least 1,800 acres with 0 percent containment, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs Wildland Fire Management. Sergeant Erwin Toddy, of the Navajo Nation Police Department, had initially reported the fire and said there were no reports of injuries or damages
Lt. Tyler Lynch of the Navajo Nation Police Department reported that wood haulers were believed to be responsible for starting the blaze. Toddy said authorities had identified two persons of interest but did not provide details on how the fire was ignited, and the BIA Wildland Fire Management said they were investigating how it was started.
"Somehow fire erupted and they immediately packed up their stuff," said Toddy. "When we got there, it was approximately half an acre but when the wind came in it just started to take off."
In the midafternoon of June 29, as smoke blanketed communities near the fire, the Navajo Nation Commission on Emergency Management voted to declare a state of emergency for areas impacted by the Oak Ridge Fire. The declaration called for the deployment of Navajo Nation resources to address both current and future wildfire impacts.
The commission also approved measures to tighten restrictions on fireworks use, officially elevating fire restrictions from stage 1 to stage 2. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren was expected to sign these new restrictions. During a midnight briefing, Nygren implored the public to follow fire restrictions.
'I encourage all our Navajo people to respect and honor our fire restrictions,' said Nygren. 'I also encourage you all not to haul firewood, drag chains, or even light fireworks during this ongoing drought, which creates the perfect scenario for preventable fires.'
BIA Wildland Fire Management official Johnson Benally reported there were about 55 firefighters out on the scene. It was listed that BIA had one type 3 incident commander; one taskforce leader; four type 6 fire engines; one 20-person type 2 hand crew; two wildfire suppression modules; one type 2 helicopter; multiple air tankers and one air attack fighting the fire. There were other resources ordered to assist.
The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority announced it was closely monitoring the fire and was prepared to minimize the impact of any potential power outages. While NTUA successfully rerouted power the day before, there was still a risk of system overload that could lead to an outage. NTUA urged residents to reduce electricity usage in their homes and conserve as much power as possible to help keep the system stable.
El Paso Natural Gas Company reported that residents are also under a 'ready state' evacuation alert. Navajo Route 12 near El Paso Gas was being monitored as the fire's eastern boundary. If the fire crossed the 1-mile buffer zone, families in the area will need to evacuate immediately.
'Fire is not only a destructive force—it is also an essential part of our ecosystem,' said Navajo Nation Speaker Crystalyne Curley. 'We must engage with fire respectfully to support the efforts of our first responders, who are putting their lives on the line to protect us. We ask residents to work with local public safety agencies, be prepared to evacuate if needed, and take all necessary precautions. The safety and wellbeing of our people must remain our top priority.'
The Navajo Nation Council continued to urge residents to follow all fire restrictions and to avoid travel near affected areas, including State Route 264 and Route 12, to allow emergency personnel full access. The public was reminded that drone flights were strictly prohibited in and around the fire area. Unauthorized drone activity endangered firefighting aircraft and ground crews.
Bia said that as they were evacuating, the family loaded as many pets as they could into their van. However, some—like their dogs—jumped out during the process. The remaining pets had to stay outside the events center in the van.
"We couldn't catch all of them," said Bia about his family's pets and animals. "Hopefully they will be OK. We have Ferraris, rabbits, guinea pigs and inside cats and dogs."
With animal control in Fort Defiance at full capacity, the need for kennels quickly became apparent. Lt. Lynch said officials were looking to the nearby border town of Gallup to see if its humane shelter could accommodate evacuees' pets.
Nygren's office reported that Navajo Forestry, Fish and Wildlife; park rangers and resource enforcement were all on site assisting evacuees with livestock. The Department of Agriculture continued to evacuate animals and provide water and feed. Livestock were being relocated to the Window Rock Fairgrounds, which were open and available as a staging area if needed.
Donations were being accepted at the Bee Hółdzil Fighting Scouts Events Center in Fort Defiance. The Window Rock Fighting Scouts Events Center was now the primary emergency evacuation shelter for residents evacuating due to the fire. The facility was equipped with showers and locker rooms. The Navajo Nation Office of the President staff, executive branch and Window Rock Unified School District Staff were all on site to provide resources and support.
Donations needed:
Blankets, cots.
Diapers/formula/wipes.
Plates, forks, utensils, bowls, spoons, forks, napkins/cups/gloves.
Prepared food.
Shampoo/toothbrushes/towels/lotion/soap, toilet paper.
Snacks (cookies, fruit cups).
Nygren also cautioned the public to be wary of GoFundMe accounts claiming to raise funds on behalf of the Navajo Nation. He clarified that the Navajo Nation has not established an official GoFundMe for this fire.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Navajo Nation wildfire burns 1.8K acres, 0% contained