Relief fund steps in as Oak Ridge Fire response shifts to recovery

TSEGHÁHOODZÁNÍ

As the Oak Ridge Fire nears full containment, a Navajo-led nonprofit is shifting its efforts from emergency response to recovery, helping fill aid gaps and support displaced families.

The wildfire, which scorched more than 10,000 acres in Apache County, is now 87% contained as of July 8. But for many impacted communities, the recovery is just beginning.

The Yee Ha’ólníi Doo DBA Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has deployed staff and resources to Window Rock and surrounding chapters to assess needs, deliver supplies, and support families during the transition. The organization, originally launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, has become a trusted partner in community-led disaster response.

Ethel Branch, the nonprofit’s board chair and former Navajo Nation attorney general, said the group is focusing on the most urgently needed items – specifically, those being requested by the community but not yet supplied, such as air purifiers, cooling supplies and other health-related items that aren’t typically included in standard donations. The group’s goal is to step in where help is lacking and ensure families have the support they need as they move into recovery.

Branch, who is Bįįh Bitoodnii and born for Naakaii Dine’é, grew up on a ranch south of Leupp, Arizona.

With a team of 12 staff members and a fleet of vehicles, including two transport vans, a truck and a box truck, the relief fund has coordinated supply runs to sites such as the St. Michaels Chapter, Klagetoh Chapter, the Window Rock Event Center, and the Ganado Field House. These sites were used as temporary evacuation centers during the height of the Oak Ridge Fire but have since closed as residents return home.

Mary Jean Francis, the interim executive director, said a rotating team of five is working directly with command centers to handle logistics and support volunteers.

“We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel,” Francis said. “So we positioned ourselves to fill in where gaps exist.”

A GoFundMe campaign launched by the group has raised over $20,100 (of a $50,000 goal) from more than 300 donors as of July 8. Francis said the fundraiser was a direct response to supporters outside tribal lands who wanted to contribute but couldn’t deliver items in person.

Relief items such as fans, air purifiers, and other essentials are being accepted at the organization’s three community centers in Tsébii’ndzisgaii, Tooh Haltsooí, and Tsé’íí’áhí. Additional support hubs have been activated in Flagstaff, Phoenix, Page, Gallup, and Fort Defiance.

“Seeing what’s happening at (the) Oak Ridge (Fire), we wanted to be able to help in some way,” Branch said.

She said the fire is another reminder of the growing threats posed by climate change. Building climate resilience is now central to the nonprofit’s mission.

“Certainly, the intensity of the fire and the rapidness with which it’s burning through our communities can be attributed to climate change,” she said.

The organization also operates a housing rehabilitation program that has helped repair nearly 90 homes across three Arizona counties within the Navajo Nation. Any unused funds raised for the fire will be redirected to long-term rebuilding efforts.

“I’m hoping that we can play some role in literally helping rebuild homes at some point, depending on how much comes in,” Branch said.

She added that the strong public response to the fire has echoed what the nonprofit experienced during the pandemic.

“It’s one of the most powerful things we saw during the pandemic. People want to help,” she said. “That’s part of a Navajo ethic, of wanting to roll up one’s sleeves and do something about the situation.”

Francis said the team will remain on the ground in the coming days as communities shift from emergency response to recovery.

“Our team is ready to shift roles daily – whatever helps our communities the most,” she said.

 

Published July 8, 2025     Updated July 8, 2025
A correction was made on July 8, 2025: An earlier version of this article misstated the number of staff members and vehicles used by the Yee Ha’ólníi Doo DBA Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund. The organization’s relief team includes 12 staff members, not 30, and they are using two transport vans, a truck, and a box truck to deliver supplies.

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