Henderson County remains in state of emergency; what that means for county resources

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The Henderson County Board of Commissioners declared an indefinite state of emergency Sunday night as crews continue working the Poplar Drive Fire. The declaration opens the county up to more state resources, while allowing for local departments to maintain county business.

"Our first consideration is making sure the folks that are on the line have what they need, and we'll figure out the administrative piece on the backend,"Henderson County Emergency Services Director Jimmy Brissie said.

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So what does a state of emergency mean?

“It allows us, if we need to, to impose a few more controls here at the local level,” Brissie said.

Brissie said several directives fall under the declaration, including streamlining the process should mandatory evacuations need to take place, potential closing of roadways and utilizing funding through FEMA should the need arise.

“The board of commissioners wanted the community to know that we’re taking this serious," Brissie said. "The county is taking every resource it has at its disposal to put it towards this, and we’re working with our partners.”

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The list of partners has grown significantly. In the last 24 hours, 65 agencies have been operating in Henderson County, which frees up resources in the surrounding counties, Brissie said.

“People are still having heart attacks," Brissie said. "People are still having car crashes. There are still other fires that could potentially take place. So, it gives that little buffer and allows folks to take care of their own neighborhood."