Governor Josh Stein issued a State of Emergency in response to the wildfires burning across parts of Western North Carolina.
Various communities issued states of emergency on their own, but the expansion of the order to the state level expanded the state’s ability to respond, according to Stein.
The order was issued on Wednesday, March 26 – a week after two of the three fires making up the Black Cove Complex started.
“The wildfires in western North Carolina continue to grow, so I have expanded our State of Emergency,” said Stein in a statement to press. “Our State Emergency Response Team is responding with every tool at its disposal.”
The State of Emergency includes the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal lands and 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 and Yancey counties.
By Thursday, March 27, about 105 wildfires burning more than 8,600 acres were active across the state, according to the North Carolina Forest Service.
