A wildfirehas burned 10,000 acres near Sawmill on the Navajo Nation. The so-called Wood Springs 2 Fire is 5% contained.
Fire officials say while nearby communities prepare to evacuate, people need to stay indoors to avoid breathing the dense smoke.
Fire analyst Arthur Gonzales told a Navajo Facebook Live town hall that more than 300 firefighters are working to contain the blaze.
“It takes a lot of work to put containment around a fire that’s over 10,000 acres that’s nearly 35 miles long around the perimeter as a whole,” Gonzales said.
The lightning-sparked fire has crossed N-26 but not Route 7. Both roads are closed.
As fire crews build containment lines, the Incident Command Team is concerned about dry lightning and erratic wind gusts from developing thunderstorms in the area.
