Wildfires and Severe Weather Prompt State of Emergency Declared in Camden County

The lake area may have escaped any confirmed tornadoes but a State of Emergency was declared Friday night in Camden County following an outbreak of dozens of wildfires and other severe weather that pushed across the region.

At one point during the fires, statewide mutual aid was requested and several areas in the western part of the county were under evacuation orders without enough fire personnel to battle the raging fires. There were also shelters set up at the First Baptist Church and the high school in Macks Creek for those forced from their homes.

The emergency management agency says the E-O-C was activated with the county Road and Bridge Department providing heavy equipment and the sheriff’s office coordinating with the Unified Command.

Preliminary numbers estimated 30 structures were either damaged or destroyed with, at least, some of the fires being blamed on downed power lines. There was no report on injuries or worse.