(Jefferson City) – On Friday, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon ordered the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center in response to fires and a prolonged period of record heat and low precipitation across Missouri. The Governor also ordered the Missouri National Guard to ready the assets and resources it would need to support firefighting operations in Missouri. This Missouri Division of Fire Safety is assisting with the coordination of resources.
In Iron County, approximately 550 acres of the Mark Twain National Forest already have burned, and approximately 2,000 additional acres are at risk. Gov. Nixon toured the area on Saturday.
Under the Governor’s order, state agencies will staff the State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response efforts and resources, including providing temporary shelters should evacuations become necessary. State agencies that can be activated for duty under the order include: Missouri Department of Public Safety, State Emergency Management Agency, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Division of Fire Safety, Department of Agriculture, Department of Conservation, Department of Corrections, Department of Health and Senior Services, Department of Mental Health, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Social Services, Department of Transportation and the Office of Administration.