North Wake News

Governor Josh Stein has expanded the State of Emergency in North Carolina to enhance the state's response to ongoing wildfires in the western region. Residents are advised to remain vigilant due to heightened fire danger and adhere to local emergency alerts and evacuation instructions.

"The wildfires in western North Carolina continue to grow, so I have expanded our State of Emergency,” stated Governor 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 actively supporting counties with necessary resources and personnel since last week. Efforts include deploying communications resources, tactical emergency telecommunicators, and incident management personnel. The North Carolina Forest Service is contributing to incident management and firefighting operations, while the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal has mobilized fire departments from across the state to assist in western North Carolina.

The expanded State of Emergency covers 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 County Stanly Swain Transylvania Union Watauga Wilkes Yancey as well as tribal lands held by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Residents are encouraged to keep informed about evacuation orders through local government websites and social media channels. It is also recommended that they enable emergency alerts on their cell phones. For more information on current fires across the state or how to prepare for emergencies and disasters visit www.readync.gov.