
Communities mobilize to support evacuees, others impacted by Oak Ridge Fire

Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Smoke from the Oak Ridge Fire rises into the night sky near St. Michaels, Ariz. As the wildfire continues to burn, residents have worked quickly to evacuate homes, relocate livestock, and provide relief for displaced families.
WINDOW ROCK
As the Oak Ridge Fire continues to burn across northeastern Arizona, Navajo Nation communities and nearby towns are stepping up with donation drives, public meetings, and relief efforts to support families displaced by the wildfire.
In Indian Wells, a meeting to coordinate a response was scheduled for Monday evening at Juanita Tsosie’s hogan. Nora John, posting on social media, urged her community to take action.
“What assistance can we provide?” John wrote. She added that many people rely on the affected areas for household and ceremonial wood. “Let’s unite and provide aid,” she stated.
Rodell Denetso also sought help on social media in Shiprock.
“Most of you know I am born and raised in AZ and I can’t sit back and not do nothing,” he wrote.
Denetso planned to collect donations at the Shiprock Chapter House on July 1 from 1-6 p.m., then deliver them to command centers and shelters in Window Rock and Ganado. “Every little donation helps,” he wrote, requesting cots, sleeping bags, snacks, masks, water, fruits, and drinks with electrolytes for firefighters.
According to the Navajo Department of Emergency Management, the Window Rock Fighting Scouts Events Center has been converted into the primary emergency shelter. Showers and locker rooms are available at the facility, which is staffed by personnel from the president’s office and the Window Rock Unified School District.
Utensils, plates, bowls, gloves, blankets, cots, and basic hygiene supplies such as shampoo, lotion, and toilet paper are needed.
The Ramah Navajo Police Department in Mountain View, New Mexico, is also collecting donations. Chief Tyler Woody said donations for families and livestock can be dropped off on the east or north side of the police building.
“On duty dispatchers and officers can assist with unloading and storing the items,” Woody wrote.
The department plans to transfer the donations to Arizona on Thursday. Requested items include water, diapers, blankets, canned foods, animal feed, and clothing.
The Shiprock Chapter of the Navajo Nation also issued a formal notice requesting specific donations: baby diapers (sizes 2 through 5), adult diapers (medium to x-large), and sanitizing wipes.
According to the chapter, 50 emergency hygiene kits and 25 food kits were delivered to the Fort Defiance donation center on June 29. Additional items will be collected on July 1 and 2 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and transported to the exact location.
During a recent public meeting, Speaker Crystalyne Curley urged caution regarding online fundraising efforts.
“Also, another thing to keep aware of is the scams,” she said. “There’s no official Navajo Nation GoFundMe account or monetary donation account. During emergencies, bad actors come in and try to create accounts. And you don’t know whose personal account is behind there. But the Navajo Nation is, at this time, collecting tangible donations or connecting with our emergency command to see the appropriate way to donate those for situational awareness.”
According to Navajo emergency officials, the Oak Ridge Fire has burned more than 9,800 acres and continues to threaten homes, grazing areas, and timberlands.
For more information on where donations can be delivered, call 505-422-7382.