Navajo Nation

Crews on all sides of the fire have worked to restore disturbed areas caused by suppression efforts and get approval from local officials that these areas have sufficiently been restored to a more natural state. Today firefighters will monitor and patrol the fire perimeter to ensure containment lines hold. Crews and equipment will begin to return to their home agencies.

Firefighters continue to make steady progress toward fully containing the Wood Springs 2 Fire. Firefighters began to restore areas disturbed by containment and suppression efforts. They are focused on restoring the landscape to prevent adverse erosion along fire lines as well as to enhance, to the most extent possible, the aesthetics of the landscape. Crews will be securing and monitoring the remaining portions of uncontained fire line across Monument Canyon, and on the eastern side of the fire south of N 26.

Firefighters held the fire west of Route 7 and north of the powerlines, and today began to restore areas disturbed by containment and suppression efforts. Crews still have much work to finish, even with 76 percent containment. Hot, dry, and windy conditions in Tuesday’s forecast could increase fire activity, according to fire behavior analysts. Crews have been able to complete fire line from the southwest corner up the west side of the fire to N 26, and on the southeast side up to Sage House Wash, which in west of Oak Creek Mountain.

Fire activity: Yá’át’ééh abiní. The fire perimeter saw no growth yesterday and continues to stay west of Route 7 and north of the powerlines. There is a high potential for spot fires today because of the increased temperatures, lack of measurable rain and low relative humidity. An executive closure order is in place around the fire and the general public is reminded to avoid the area so as to not interfere with firefighting efforts.

On Tuesday, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer issued Executive Order 003-20, extending the declaration of a state of emergency and extending the closure of Navajo Nation government offices and related entities until May 17, to help slow and reduce the spread of COVID-19 on the Navajo Nation. The previous Executive Order was set to expire on April 26. 

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer announced a new Public Health Emergency Order, extending the 57-hour weekend curfew for two additional weekends in the month of April and closing essential businesses during weekend curfews due to community spread of COVID-19. As of Wednesday, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases reached 921 with 38 deaths.