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RALEIGH—On Wednesday, March 26, Governor Stein issued a State of Emergency to expand North Carolina’s capacity to respond to the wildfires burning in the state. The largest of these is the Black Cove Fire Complex burning in Polk and Henderson counties. Gov. Stein urged residents to be aware of high fire danger conditions across the state and pay close attention to 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 assisting counties with resource and personnel needs since late last week. North Carolina Emergency Management has deployed communications resources, tactical emergency telecommunicators, and incident management personnel to the scene of the wildfires. The North Carolina Forest Service is assisting with incident management and firefighting efforts, and the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal has deployed fire departments from across the state to Polk and Henderson counties to assist. 

To stay current on evacuation orders, visit www.PolkNC.gov/fireupdates, follow Polk County Local Government on social media, and enable emergency alerts on your cell phone. Visit www.readync.gov for information on how you and your family can be prepared for all emergencies and disasters.