Oak Ridge Fire grows to over 6,000 acres, 0% contained, evacuations ordered

WINDOW ROCK, Arizona (ABC4) — The Oak Ridge Fire is northeastern Arizona has grown to over 6,000 acres with 0% containment, according to the Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team. Evacuations are underway, and a public meeting regarding the wildfire is scheduled for today, June 30, at 6 p.m.

The public meeting will be held at the Fighting Scouts Field House. Team members and local authorities will be in attendance and sharing information on the fire. The meeting will also be streamed on the BIA Wildland Fire Management – Navajo Region Facebook page here.

Hunter’s Point and Oak Springs west of mile marker 12 on Navajo Route 12 north to El Paso Gas Station are currently under a “Go” evacuation order. Oak Springs residents north of El Paso Gas Station are under a “Set” evacuation order. For information on varying evacuation orders, visit the Arizona Wildfire Dashboard here.

An evacuation shelter is reportedly set up at the Window Rock Fighting Scouts Event Center on Navajo Route 12 south of the Window Rock High School. Donations are being taken at the evacuation shelter. A large animal shelter has also been set up at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena in Saint Michaels.

Critical areas at risk include the community of Saint Michaels, the highway 12 corridor, surrounding homes, and pipeline infrastructure. Crews are working to identify structures in the fire vicinity so steps can be taken to protect those structures.

“Today’s strategy includes holding the north and east lines that were put in by crews Sunday. The fire is primarily wind driven and today’s shifting winds pose a risk to our responders. Additionally, low humidity and high temperatures will increase fire activity,” an update from the Incident Commander states.

As fire activity increases and additional resources are needed, the Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team 2 took over operational control of the fire Monday morning. The previous team performed “expertly and professionally” with the resources at their disposal to protect the community, officials said.

Five more crews and 10 more engines are continuing to arrive on scene Monday. Crews will be working overnight to fight the blaze. Helicopters, fixed wing tankers, and an unmanned aerial system (UAS) are also assigned to the fire.

Today, June 30, winds are expected to shift from the northeasterly direction they’ve been blowing to a more southeasterly direction later in the day. Winds will reportedly remain active and strong well into the night. Temperatures will reach the 90s while humidity will drop to the single digits, officials said.

Tonight, moisture will move into the area and humidity recover is expected to reach into the 50-60% range. Details regarding wildfire smoke can be found here.

The fire is wind driven on dry fuels. The situation can change “very quickly” with today’s shifting winds, officials said.

“The public is advised to pay attention to and abide by public safety announcements,” the fire update states.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) for the fire area is in place for the safety of aerial resources. Drone use in the TFR area is “extremely dangerous and illegal,” officials said. It will reportedly shut down fire response aviation.

No further information is available at this time.