Source:  PRESS RELEASE, 6/25/11

Gov. Perdue today signed Executive Order 94, which declares a state of emergency for 29 Eastern counties because of the wildfires already burning and the threat of continued dry conditions.

The order allows the state to seek federal assistance and to draw upon resources from other states to combat the fires and protect life and property.

“I want to assure residents of North Carolina that the state Division of Forest Resources and its partnering agencies are working hard to contain the fires in Eastern North Carolina,” Gov. Perdue said. “They will continue to focus on the top priorities of protecting lives and property nearest the fires. Our Forest Service Incident Management Team and personnel are one of the premier fire fighting agencies in the country. They are working with more than 300 federal, local and volunteer fire departments to contain the fires.”