WINDOW ROCK, AZ — Evacuations have been ordered for some residents southwest of Window Rock in Eastern Arizona.
The Oak Ridge Fire is burning in Apache County, southwest of Saint Michaels, Arizona.
The fire sparked Saturday afternoon and has burned 200 acres and is at 0% containment.
An evacuation order has been issued within the Oak Ridge Fire area. The fire is burning to the southeast and has triggered evacuations along its projected path and near the El Paso pipeline corridor.
Residents along Roads 603, 604, 605, and the Navajo Telecommunications Road in St. Michaels have been instructed to evacuate.
Shelters for evacuees are open at the Window Rock Fighting Scouts Event Center, located in Fort Defiance, Arizona.
“Our people need to be vigilant about the poor and dry conditions we’re experiencing on the Navajo Nation,” said Resources and Development Committee Chair Brenda Jesus. “I’ve urged the Navajo Nation Forestry Department and the BIA to impose Stage 2 Fire Restrictions so we don’t further jeopardize our people, wildlife, and our land.”
Pine Springs Road off of Highway 264 is closed.
Everyone is cautioned to avoid State Route 264 and Route 12, and to yield to emergency response and public safety vehicles.
Firefighting and safety efforts are being performed by multiple agencies, including BIA Fire, Navajo Nation Police, Navajo Department of Emergency Management, Apache County, and the Apache County Sheriff’s Office.
