Today, Governor Josh Stein expanded the state’s capacity to respond to the wildfires in western North Carolina, urging residents to remain vigilant of the high fire danger. The Governor and Emergency Management Officials have called on North Carolinians to stay informed about local emergency alerts and evacuation notifications.
“The wildfires in western North Carolina continue to grow, so I have expanded our State of Emergency,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Our State Emergency Response Team is responding with every tool at its disposal. Please stay safe and stay alert for any evacuation orders if the fires spread to an area near you.”
The State Emergency Response Team has been providing counties with the resources and personnel they need since late last week. North Carolina Emergency Management has sent communications resources, tactical emergency telecommunicators, and incident management personnel to the affected areas. The North Carolina Forest Service is involved in incident management and firefighting efforts, and the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal has sent fire departments from across the state to assist in western North Carolina.
The State of Emergency applies to numerous counties, including Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey, and the tribal lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Residents should follow their local government website and social media for evacuation updates and enable emergency alerts on their cell phones. Information on current fires and disaster preparedness can be accessed through relevant channels.
