I-40, WILL HE BE WITH, THINGS
MOVING WELL.> OUR STATE
GROWING WILDFIRES GAINING
NATIONAL ATTENTION AS
FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE A
DESPERATE BATTLE IN THE
MOUNTAINS.
APPROXIMATELY 15 FIRES ARE
BURNING IN THE WESTERN PART OF
THE STATE CAUSING EVACUATIONS
FOR THOUSANDS AND AT LEAST $10
MILLION IN DAMAGE.
CBS NORTH CAROLINA AMY CUTLER
NEAR THE LAKE LURE FIRE WHICH
OFFICIALS SAY IS THE 2nd
HIGHEST PRIORITY FIRE IN THE
COUNTRY.
Reporter: THIS IS BEING
CALLED THE PARTY ROCK FIRE, THE
GOVERNOR SAYS IT IS THE 2nd
HIGHEST PRIORITY WILDFIRE IN
THE ENTIRE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
YOU NOTICE, THE MASSIVE
RESPONSE WE'VE SEEN, FIRST
RESPONDERS COMING FROM ACROSS
THE COUNTRY TO BATTLE THE
FLAMES.
THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE WHEN
YOU GET OUT HERE, THE SMOKE IS
OVERWHELMING.
TOWN AND COUNTY OFFICIALS
MONITORING UNIT SAYING AIR
QUALITY IS A BIG CONCERN.
THE GOVERNOR SAYS THIS WILDFIRE
HAS BURNED NEARLY 3500 ACRES,
HE IS CONFIRMING THE FIRE IS 15%
CONTAINED.
1500 FIREFIGHTERS HAVE BEEN
BATTLING THE WILDFIRES ACROSS
THE STATE.
THE GOVERNOR WORKING WITH LOCAL
, STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS.
HE STRESSED SAFETY IS THEIR
NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
SEVERAL COUNTIES OR COMMUNITIES
HAVE BEEN EVACUATED, INCLUDING
PARTS OF BURKE, GRAHAM AND
RUTHERFORD COUNTY'S.
FIREFIGHTERS WORKING 12 HOUR
SHIFTS, WE SPOKE WITH ONE
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER FOR MORE
INFO.
IF WE DO IT FOR THEM THEY
WILL DO IT FOR US.
ESPECIALLY THE THINGS GOING ON
RIGHT NOW.
IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
Reporter: A LOOK BACK OUT
HERE , YOU CAN SEE THE MASSIVE
RESPONSE, FIREFIGHTERS FROM
ACROSS THE COUNTRY RESPONDING,
MANY VOLUNTEERS SAYING THEY
WANTED TO HELP.
THE GOVERNOR SAYS WITH NO RAIN
OR SNOW THIS WILDFIRE COULD
BURNED INTO MARCH.
FORTUNATELY MONDAY, WITH
HUMIDITY FIREFIGHTERS SAY IT
GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO DO WORK,
TO BE OUT AND MONITOR THE
SITUATION AND WILL HAVE MORE
AND LATER NEWS.
AND LAKE LURE AMY CUTLER CBS
NORTH CAROLINA AS AN IMAGINED
FIREFIGHTERS FROM AS FAR AWAY
AS OKLAHOMA AND IDAHO COME TO
HELP FIGHT THE FIRES.
FRESH HELP FROM OUR AREA HEADED
WEST AS WELL.
LAUREN HAVILAND IS LIVE IN
CHAPEL HILL, A NEW BATCH OF
FIREFIGHTERS LEAVING IN LESS
THAN AN HOUR.
GOOD MORNING, AROUND 7 AM
FOR CHAPEL HILL FIREFIGHTERS
WILL HEAD TO THE WESTERN PART
OF THE STATE.
RIGHT NOW THERE ARE 16
FIREFIGHTERS FROM THE CHAPEL
HILL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND 4
ENGINE TRUCKS.
THEY WILL RELIEVE FOR THEM,
COME BACK THIS EVENING.
THEY ARE READY GOT ONE CREW
OUT, AFTER THE STATE ASKED FOR
54 MAN CREWS AND EQUIPMENT.
THESE PICTURES ARE FROM ORANGE
RURAL FIRE CREWS.
HERE IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE
STATE, FROM ORANGE, DURHAM AND
WAY COUNTIES, ALL SAID AT LEAST
2 EXPERIENCED FIREFIGHTERS AND
A FIRE ENGINE OR BRUSH TRUCK.
WITH THE FIRE BURNING MORE THAN
A WEEK GOVERNOR PAT McCRORY
SAID HIS TOP OF -- TOP PRIORITY
IS SAFETY AS THE CREWS WORKED
FOR MORE THAN 12 HOURS FOR 7
DAYS.
THE GOVERNOR SAID THE 2nd GOAL
IS CONTAINMENT.
AT THIS POINT, AT LEAST 40,000
ACRES HAVE BURNED, FIREFIGHTERS
WILL USE ROADS INCREASE AS A
NATURAL WAY TO STOP IT FROM
SPREADING.
COMPLETE DEVASTATION WITH
THE FOREST FIRE.
THEY ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO
PROTECT HOUSES AND IN PEOPLE'S
HOMES AND BUSINESSES.
THESE FIRES ARE BEING
INVESTIGATED.
SOME AS ARSON.
THEY AREN'T SURE IF THEY
PURPOSELY WERE SAID THAT THEY
CAN SAY THEY WERE STARTED BY
PEOPLE IN THE STATE IS
EXPECTING THE WORST.
IT COULD BURNED UNTIL MARCH
LIKE AMY SAID.
BECAUSE OF THAT THEY COULD SEND
MORE LOCAL CREWS BUT LOCAL
CREWS WANT TO ENSURE THE AREA
HERE WILL HAVE PROPER RESPONSE