Council of State Holds Meeting at Historic Halifax, Warns of Wildfires During Burn Ban

Gov. Josh Stein opened the April Council of State meeting with a nod to history, but the day’s most urgent message centered on a present-day threat: wildfires burning across North Carolina.

“We share your enthusiasm … about the upcoming anniversary and Halifax County,” Stein said at the outset, referencing the approaching 250th anniversary of the Halifax Resolves and the significance of meeting outside Raleigh.

That sense of place — and timing — framed the April 7 meeting at the Historic Halifax Visitor Center. Just days before the anniversary of the Halifax Resolves, state leaders gathered on the same ground where North Carolina became the first colony to officially call for independence from Great Britain.

But as the meeting unfolded, the tone shifted from reflection to warning.

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler delivered the most direct remarks of the day, outlining the scale of wildfire activity and the risks facing communities statewide.

“We have been concentrating on fighting wildfires. It’s been a big wildfire season,” Troxler said, noting that state crews responded to 451 fires in a single recent week.

Even after a statewide burn ban was enacted, Troxler said, 114 additional fires were reported — underscoring the role human activity continues to play in sparking blazes.

“I just ask the public to remember there is a burn ban on,” he said. “Please pay attention to the burn ban. Be careful.”

Then came the starkest warning of the meeting. “These fires, when they get out of control, they burn houses, businesses — and they do kill people,” Troxler said.

The remarks highlighted a central concern for state officials: while recent rainfall has helped reduce some immediate risk, conditions remain volatile, particularly as warmer weather draws more people outdoors.

So far, Troxler said, North Carolina has managed to contain most fires before they grow into large-scale disasters requiring out-of-state assistance. But that success, he suggested, depends heavily on public compliance with restrictions like the burn ban.

The urgency of that message stood in contrast to the historic setting — but also reinforced it.

Halifax County’s role in American history was front and center throughout the meeting. On April 12, 1776, North Carolina’s Fourth Provincial Congress unanimously adopted the Halifax Resolves, authorizing its delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence and asserting the colony’s right to self-govern. NC is called "first in freedom" because of those efforts.

The document laid out a decisive break from Britain, citing grievances that included destruction of property, interference with colonial governance and broader abuses of power. It concluded that reconciliation with the “mother country” was no longer possible.

Inside the meeting, the council worked through its formal agenda with little debate. Members unanimously approved minutes from the previous meeting and signed off on a range of financial and administrative items. Those included a report showing about $345 million in year-to-date interest earnings for the state’s general fund — down from the previous year due to declining interest rates.

The council also approved payments from the state property fire insurance fund, including claims tied to storm damage as well as multiple transportation and property transactions statewide.

Questions from the state auditor briefly pressed agency officials on office space needs and lease timelines, highlighting ongoing oversight of government operations. 

Following the meeting, the focus shifted once again — this time from governance to commemoration.

Stein and other council members joined local leaders outside the visitor center for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the site’s official opening. The restored facility is expected to serve as a hub for tourism and education, particularly as North Carolina prepares for increased attention tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The moment tied together the day’s themes: a look back at the origins of independence and a forward-facing effort to invest in communities connected to that history.

State leaders stood on the ground where North Carolina first asserted its right to self-govern. At the same time, they confronted a modern challenge that requires collective responsibility — preventing wildfires that, as Troxler warned, can quickly turn deadly.

Nearly 250 years after the Halifax Resolves, the setting may be historic, but the stakes, officials made clear, are immediate.