Oak Ridge Fire consumes over 10,600 acres as monsoon rain brings some relief

By Donovan Quintero | Jul 3, 2025 | Oak Ridge Fire |

WINDOW ROCK

What started as a thin column of smoke rising from the high desert on a quiet Saturday afternoon has evolved into a full-scale wildfire that has scorched over 10,623 acres of land on the Navajo Nation, just four miles south of Arizona State Highway 264, west of Window Rock.

Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
A firefighter loads water into a supply tank during nighttime operations on the Oak Ridge Fire, June 28. Crews worked through the night to keep the fire from advancing toward nearby communities.

Known as the Oak Ridge Fire, the blaze intensified rapidly, driven by gusty winds, critically dry vegetation, and a landscape shaped by years of drought. By midweek, the fire had pushed westward into the Klagetoh Chapter boundaries, forcing some residents to evacuate.

By Saturday afternoon, a small but courageous group of Navajo Scouts was returning from firefighting assignments in Reserve, New Mexico. They joined fire personnel on the ground, while four aircraft crisscrossed the sky above the community, dropping thick lines of red fire retardant to slow the fire’s advance.

Fire crews, aircraft mobilize as blaze grows

Since fire crews – numbering over 500 personnel – have worked day and night to combat the blaze. From the air, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft have dropped water and retardant. Hand crews have carved containment lines on the ground, and structure protection teams have been deployed to prevent damage to homes and livestock shelters.

On Monday, the reins were handed over to Incident Commander John Truett with the Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Incident Team 2. Truett informed the public that they would have to provide updates to concerned Navajo citizens at a meeting.

Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
A firefighter digs a containment line to halt the spread of the Oak Ridge Fire on June 28. Crews worked in rugged terrain to create barriers that could slow the wildfire’s advance through the forest.

When Bill Morse, the spokesman for the Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Incident Team, along with President Buu Nygren and Speaker Crystalyne Curley, updated community members, the fire had consumed more than 6,200 acres.

“This morning, the fire was at 6,292 acres. Just now, we got a report that it’s at 6,545. That’s a much better day than yesterday,” said Morse during a community meeting held Monday evening in Fort Defiance. “We’ve evacuated over 100 homes, and 350 people are what we have reported are being evacuated at this time.”

Despite these efforts, the blaze continued growing and shifting direction.

“Right now, we’re getting 50-mile-an-hour winds on that fire,” said Incident Commander John Truett. “It stayed kind of in place all day today. But when we leave here, you’re going to see it’s making a very big push to the southwest.”

Communities, including Oak Springs and Hunters Point, were placed under “Go” evacuation orders. St. Michaels and parts of Klagetoh were placed under “Set” and “Ready” statuses.

Shelters were activated at the Ganado Field House and Bee Hó?dzil Event Center, where displaced families were welcomed by volunteers providing food, water, and support.

When the blaze ignited and began growing uncontrollably, Council Delegate Brenda Jesus, the chair of the Resources and Development Committee, was “boots on the ground” as she coordinated with the St. Michaels Chapter officials. She was also getting updates and conveying them to everyone who needed them.

To read the full article, please see the July 3, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.

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