National Wildfire Awareness Month

In this blog, we will discuss:

Every year, numerous wildfires decimate thousands of acres of forest lands throughout the country. Prairies and grasslands are sometimes affected by these unexpected and dangerous fires too. By late September of 2020, Utah’s total number of wildfires increased by 50% from the previous year, with more than 1,300 fires in the state during the five months from April through mid-September.

A wildfire may spread very quickly and can devastate wildlife populations, forested areas, and developed communities. In observation of 2021 Wildfire Awareness Month, here is some information to help you prepare to take the necessary actions to protect yourself, your family, and your home in the event that a wildfire occurs near your neighborhood.

Make a Household Emergency Plan

First, draft an emergency plan for use by all the occupants of your home in the event that a wildfire is moving toward your neighborhood. Ensure that everyone clearly understands what they should do if it becomes necessary to evacuate quickly during a wildfire threatening your area.

A top priority in your emergency plan should be to consolidate your important documents into a single durable and secure folder. Include insurance policies, IDs, essential legal and financial records, etc. Create a backup for the folder by copying all the documents to a digital storage space with secure password protection. Put the documents in your evacuation pack. Each family member should have a packed bag ready for emergency evacuation.

Have Emergency Supplies Ready

Keep enough evacuation supplies in stock at home. Include medication, disinfectant supplies, masks, pet supplies, at least a few clothing changes in your go-bag or car trunk. Be prepared to handle smaller medical issues that arise at home. This will help lessen the surge of emergency medical needs that overwhelm hospitals and private care physicians during widespread emergencies.

Staying prepared in advance enables you to manage minor medical needs at home and avoid unnecessary trips to overburdened urgent care facilities and hospital emergency rooms during a public crisis.

Keep an N95 respirator in your emergency supplies to filter out particles from smoke in the air. you breathe. (Surgical masks, cloth masks, and dust masks help protect against exposure to COVID-19, but these mask types cannot protect you from smoke inhalation.)

Be Aware of Public Warnings and Emergency Alerts

Follow all instructions provided by disaster management officials in emergency alerts. Make sure your cell phone is charged continuously while wildfires could be moving into your area. Buy backup charging devices for powering electronic devices. To receive wildfire alerts, you can:

  • Receive weather alerts in real-time from the National Weather Service. Download the app from FEMA. Get reporting for up to 5 locations anywhere in the United States.
  • Receive alerts from the Salt Lake City Emergency Alert System (EAS). Or, search online for your county or municipal government’s EAS web location for wildfire tracking information and local emergency alerts. Register in your community to get reports for your area. Get alerts from Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA). No registration is required.

Practice Your Evacuation Procedure

When a wildfire is spreading near your neighborhood, it may become necessary to evacuate very quickly. Familiarize yourself and everyone in your home with your evacuation routes. Have evacuation packs for everyone in the home ready before time is drawing near for evacuation. Practice your evacuation plan together periodically.

In your practice evacuation include:

  • Preparing and removing your pets
  • Gathering essential items to take with you
  • Turning off breakers, gas, etc.
  • Making other preparations in and around your home
  • Departing via the designated evacuation route
  • Checking the evacuation checklist before evacuating
  • Communicating, task delegation, etc.

Create contingency plans to allow for unexpected needs for changes to the primary plan, for example, if one or more family members are away from home or even out of town when it’s time to evacuate.

During the current COVID-19 conditions, if you need to go to a public shelter, bring protective masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant, if possible, to help protect yourself and others. (Children under age 2 and people with respiratory difficulties should not wear masks.) Read the CDC guidelines for instructions on Going to a Public Disaster Shelter During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Maintain social distancing in the shelter.

Evacuate Immediately When Ordered by Authorities!

COVID-19 may be causing reduced space in public shelters around your area during a wildfire emergency. Further, due to the virus, the public cleaner air shelters you might normally rely on in a wildfire emergency may not be open or may not be as safe as it would be if the virus were not a public health factor at this time.

Check the latest information provided by your local emergency management authorities to find out which public shelters are recommended for your area. See the Red Cross Shelters List or the Find Open Shelters site for available open shelters in your area, or use the Red Cross Emergency Shelters Map for quick reference.

  • If possible, plan to shelter with family or friends instead of a public shelter to help relieve pressure on the public facilities and be more comfortable and potentially safer.
  • If authorities do not order you to evacuate, but if there is smoke in the air in your neighborhood, stay inside your home in a pre-selected safe location. Close the room off and use a portable air filter or cleaner to keep the interior air clean, even while the other rooms and outdoor air is smokey.

Make Your Home More Fire Resistant

In non-emergency periods, incorporate fire-resistant building materials into your home when possible, per FEMA recommendations. Include fire-retardant finishing, and decorating materials, when making repairs or renovations. Maintain enough length of water hose to reach any area of your property within proximity to your home that puts it at risk in case of wildfire. Create a zone that is empty of leaves or other landscape debris, or other flammable matter for a minimum of around 30 feet from your house.

During a wildfire emergency, designate one room that you can close off from the external air. Close and seal bottoms of interior doors to the room. Use a portable air cleaning machine to reduce indoor pollution during conditions of the smoke-filled air outside.

If you are not ordered to evacuate, there is smoke in the air in your neighborhood, shelter in place in this room. Diligently keep checking for instructions from Utah wildfire disaster management authorities in your area and maintain readiness to evacuate.

Reacting During a Wildfire in Your Area

Remember that it is normal to find yourself feeling stressed or anxious during an emergency situation like having a wildfire spreading in your area. To help protect your safety and health and your family’s safety, speak to someone about your difficulty. If you find that you are feeling too upset or are struggling to remain calm and function effectively, ask for help.

Many people may be feeling anxiety and fear about COVID-19. Adding worry about a wildfire can mean an even much more stressful situation. Follow the CDC’s recommendations for managing your stress and helping others in your group deal with the traumatic event of the wildfire evacuation and COVID-19. See detailed advice from the U.S. government for returning to your home after a wildfire.

Medical Emergency During a Wildfire Alert Period!

During a wildfire evacuation or period of sheltering in place, pay attention to your own and others’ health signs and symptoms. If someone has asthma, COPD, or heart health issues, or other health concerns, or is pregnant, be aware of apparent changes in their condition. If you or someone else is sick and in need of medical attention, contact the appropriate healthcare provider for instructions and, if possible, shelter in place.

If you or someone near you has a medical emergency, call 911 immediately. If possible, put on a mask before emergency responders arrive. If you are staying in a shelter or public evacuation facility, alert the staff in charge immediately of the need for emergency help so that they can contact the nearest available hospital or clinic.

Utah Flood Cleanup, North Ogden Utah

We are a disaster cleanup company in Utah, specializing in flood, mold, and fire damage restoration service Utah property owners have relied on since 1992. Utah Flood Cleanup is a locally owned disaster restoration service working directly for the customer instead of the insurance company. Because we are the advocate for our customers, we can do our fire restoration work to industry standards, never cutting corners and sacrificing quality to save hours or other necessary costs. We strictly adhere to IICRC S-500 and S-520 guidelines. Our professional disaster cleanup team members hold an abundance of industry certifications, licenses, affiliations, awards. We are a 24/7 emergency disaster clean-up service with a 1-hour response time. Financing options are available.

If a wildfire or other disaster has impacted your home or business, call Utah Flood Cleanup at 801-416-2666 for emergency cleanup services, or contact us online for an onsite damage inspection.

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We are disaster cleanup experts located in the state of Utah. We perform cleanup for water damage, floods, mold, fire & more. Give us a call at 801-416-2666 if you're in need of assistance.
24/7 Flood Cleanup & Disaster Restoration Service
We Accept all types of Insurance
I was corrected and they are still in business. Talked to Daryl and he’s a great guy. Would definitely send work his way if I ever need it.
Robert Mixon
Robert Mixon
22:36 07 Mar 23
We had a leak in our roof while we were out of town. Daryl was so helpful and responded quickly so we were able to get our wood floor dried out to avoid damage to the floor. He was very professional and knew exactly what needed to be done.
Gary Hatch
Gary Hatch
22:52 07 Jun 22
I contact Daryl about wanting to have a mold inspection done in my crawl space. He was incredibly nice and immediately booked at time with me. When he arrived at the house, he carefully did his work, showed me the results of the tests. Thankfully there was no mold. But, even better, he took the time to show me and explain a few areas of concern for the future. Really incredible service. I wish everyone was so professional. I couldn't recommend someone more highly. 5 star!
rhayesparton
rhayesparton
23:22 13 May 22
Daryl with Utah Flood Clean Up, came to inspect a previous roof leak that had left some moisture in our walls. He was very honest about his findings and detailed with the information for removing it! I am a General Contractor and I won’t use anyone else!
Garry Naccarato
Garry Naccarato
14:11 23 Apr 22
My experience with this company is that they are honest and great to work with. Very refreshing to have someone you can trust.
Trevor Heaton
Trevor Heaton
19:44 06 May 20
Called for some detailed information about mold/removal. Daryl was busy, but called back just a few minutes later and spent time answering ALL my questions. He was very knowledgable and patient. Thank you Daryl.
Diane G
Diane G
18:00 17 Apr 20
Sadly, I've had to use Utah Flood Cleanup 4 times in the last year! I really appreciate how quickly they responded to each casualty. They were there right away! Daryl, the owner, gave me a price that was half of the other quote I got, and his men are professionals... not kids who don't have a clue. Plus, he included more "fixes" in his quote for less money. He is very knowledgeable and I felt very confident in his recommendations. He also worked directly with our insurance adjuster so that I didn't have to! I highly recommend this company.
Ashton Carrington
Ashton Carrington
16:09 16 Apr 20
I called Utah Flood Cleanup when I had a leak in the kitchen that drained down into the basement. Daryl came out shortly after speaking to me on the phone! He was friendly, professional and very knowledgeable. He quickly and thoroughly assessed the situation, explaining everything he did as he went along. I was very impressed with how thorough he was in his examination of the damage. He let me know up front what I was looking at and I felt he was very honest and reasonable. I've had other companies out who seem to know very little and just want to start ripping everything out at once! Daryl explained and showed me why he recommended what he did and I felt very comfortable and confident in his recommendations. I highly recommend this company!! You won't be sorry.
Jo Carrington
Jo Carrington
03:09 08 Jun 19
Call these guys for the best knowledge and serve for water damage or mold.
Daryl Olsen
Daryl Olsen
18:58 26 Jan 19
We wanted our house checked for mold due to a moderately high mold count in the air sample. They were very thorough and found only one small spot in the bathroom that needed attention. They advised on our options for dealing with it and did not propose expensive and unnecessary repairs.
Heather Steed
Heather Steed
02:09 16 Aug 18
We absolutely love Utah Flood Cleanup, they come in and take all the problems over. The headache of insurance companies, they pack your items up, the clean up and restoration, and they even move all the items back in. All of there staff are professional and very knowledgeable, they layout a reasonable budget and fight against the insurance to get your house to the best finished state. All of there sub contractors are fast and experts in their fields, this company only uses professional tradesman. We really appreciate all that the Utah Flood Cleanup guys have done for us.
Kit Cc
Kit Cc
03:27 15 Aug 16
Josh and Sam came to inspect the mold we found. They were on time, considerate and knowledgeable about our situation. They presented our options and recommendations to treat the issue. I will recommend Utah Disaster to my friends and family.
Connie Pinnell
Connie Pinnell
18:16 08 Jun 16
Jaxon came and assessed water damage in our basement. They were very helpful and went out of their way to make the experience as painless as possible. Very responsive when questions came up and they were never pushy, which I appreciate.
Aimee Hollingsworth
Aimee Hollingsworth
19:48 01 Jun 16
Jaxon was great, he answered his phone at 6:30 am and was out in an hour and got my basement cleaned up
neil norton
neil norton
14:55 31 May 16
Within the last year we had a major flood in the basement, and just today had another water issue that flooded a smaller portion of the basement. I called The Flood Company immediately and they were on-site within an hour or so. I'm extremely pleased with The Flood Co. The professionalism and expertise demonstrate by Jackson and Sam put my mind at ease, knowing we would be taken care of well. I would recommend The Flood Company to anyone in need of these services. They get a five star rating from us!
William Hansen
William Hansen
03:03 26 May 16
My main water line broke and our crawl space was flooding. I called my insurance company and they recommended these guys. Sam and Jesus showed up and got things taken care of. They stopped the water line and put fans to dry the area. The insurance process was super smooth I'm glad I called them!
Karla Maquin
Karla Maquin
04:11 06 May 16
Utah Flood Cleanup is amazing! Josh and Jesus stopped by after their shift and were kind enough to give us a free inspection of our flood problem. Our little 4 year old thought he'd make a sauna in the bathroom. He flipped the shower on and walked away. We never heard the water running and came upstairs to put my daughter to bed. Sure enough, the shower was pointed into the bathroom and flooded the whole thing. Josh and Jesus came out got the whole place inspected, pulled out themal meters and moisture meters and confirmed there was water damage (and old mold growth from previous spills). They grabbed their tools and began demolishing the floor themselves, right then and there so we could get fans on it to prevent future mold growth. I hope I never have another flood but if I do, I'm definitely calling them again! They're the best!!~~~
Jessica Means
Jessica Means
01:49 22 Apr 16
These guys are great to work with and really go above and beyond to serve their customers.
Zack Adams
Zack Adams
17:36 16 Dec 15
I called in the morning and they came that afternoon. Chris and Jesus came. They were professional, polite, knowledgeable and they quickly got the place all cleaned up and prepped for the repair. Then they recommended some handymen to do the repair. I hired Hank and he was great too. Did the whole job in one day.
Alan Green
Alan Green
20:37 16 Oct 15
You showed up to our house based upon little information. When you got here you went right to work looking to see what was going on. With being a family of 7, it can be a scramble being out of a bathroom and no shower. You were excellent and so kind on letting us know what our options are and what you can do to resolve the problem in our basement bathroom. With being in our new home, not even making a second mortgage payment yet, it is hard to discover there is mold and a water leak through out the basement bathroom and laundry room. I really appreciate the time you took out of your day to come to our house. My brother in law referred us to you, and it was the best referral, so thank you very much.
Ashley Metz
Ashley Metz
22:39 30 Sep 15

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Arrive Quickly to Any Size Disaster

Certified IICRC & IRI Technicians

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Disaster Cleanup Frequently Asked Questions


 

What Our Clients are Saying

Customer Testimonials

I was corrected and they are still in business. Talked to Daryl and he’s a great guy. Would definitely send work his way if I ever need it.
Robert Mixon
Robert Mixon
22:36 07 Mar 23
We had a leak in our roof while we were out of town. Daryl was so helpful and responded quickly so we were able to get our wood floor dried out to avoid damage to the floor. He was very professional and knew exactly what needed to be done.
Gary Hatch
Gary Hatch
22:52 07 Jun 22
I contact Daryl about wanting to have a mold inspection done in my crawl space. He was incredibly nice and immediately booked at time with me. When he arrived at the house, he carefully did his work, showed me the results of the tests. Thankfully there was no mold. But, even better, he took the time to show me and explain a few areas of concern for the future. Really incredible service. I wish everyone was so professional. I couldn't recommend someone more highly. 5 star!
rhayesparton
rhayesparton
23:22 13 May 22
Daryl with Utah Flood Clean Up, came to inspect a previous roof leak that had left some moisture in our walls. He was very honest about his findings and detailed with the information for removing it! I am a General Contractor and I won’t use anyone else!
Garry Naccarato
Garry Naccarato
14:11 23 Apr 22
My experience with this company is that they are honest and great to work with. Very refreshing to have someone you can trust.
Trevor Heaton
Trevor Heaton
19:44 06 May 20
Called for some detailed information about mold/removal. Daryl was busy, but called back just a few minutes later and spent time answering ALL my questions. He was very knowledgable and patient. Thank you Daryl.
Diane G
Diane G
18:00 17 Apr 20
Sadly, I've had to use Utah Flood Cleanup 4 times in the last year! I really appreciate how quickly they responded to each casualty. They were there right away! Daryl, the owner, gave me a price that was half of the other quote I got, and his men are professionals... not kids who don't have a clue. Plus, he included more "fixes" in his quote for less money. He is very knowledgeable and I felt very confident in his recommendations. He also worked directly with our insurance adjuster so that I didn't have to! I highly recommend this company.
Ashton Carrington
Ashton Carrington
16:09 16 Apr 20
I called Utah Flood Cleanup when I had a leak in the kitchen that drained down into the basement. Daryl came out shortly after speaking to me on the phone! He was friendly, professional and very knowledgeable. He quickly and thoroughly assessed the situation, explaining everything he did as he went along. I was very impressed with how thorough he was in his examination of the damage. He let me know up front what I was looking at and I felt he was very honest and reasonable. I've had other companies out who seem to know very little and just want to start ripping everything out at once! Daryl explained and showed me why he recommended what he did and I felt very comfortable and confident in his recommendations. I highly recommend this company!! You won't be sorry.
Jo Carrington
Jo Carrington
03:09 08 Jun 19
Call these guys for the best knowledge and serve for water damage or mold.
Daryl Olsen
Daryl Olsen
18:58 26 Jan 19
We wanted our house checked for mold due to a moderately high mold count in the air sample. They were very thorough and found only one small spot in the bathroom that needed attention. They advised on our options for dealing with it and did not propose expensive and unnecessary repairs.
Heather Steed
Heather Steed
02:09 16 Aug 18
We absolutely love Utah Flood Cleanup, they come in and take all the problems over. The headache of insurance companies, they pack your items up, the clean up and restoration, and they even move all the items back in. All of there staff are professional and very knowledgeable, they layout a reasonable budget and fight against the insurance to get your house to the best finished state. All of there sub contractors are fast and experts in their fields, this company only uses professional tradesman. We really appreciate all that the Utah Flood Cleanup guys have done for us.
Kit Cc
Kit Cc
03:27 15 Aug 16
Josh and Sam came to inspect the mold we found. They were on time, considerate and knowledgeable about our situation. They presented our options and recommendations to treat the issue. I will recommend Utah Disaster to my friends and family.
Connie Pinnell
Connie Pinnell
18:16 08 Jun 16
Jaxon came and assessed water damage in our basement. They were very helpful and went out of their way to make the experience as painless as possible. Very responsive when questions came up and they were never pushy, which I appreciate.
Aimee Hollingsworth
Aimee Hollingsworth
19:48 01 Jun 16
Jaxon was great, he answered his phone at 6:30 am and was out in an hour and got my basement cleaned up
neil norton
neil norton
14:55 31 May 16
Within the last year we had a major flood in the basement, and just today had another water issue that flooded a smaller portion of the basement. I called The Flood Company immediately and they were on-site within an hour or so. I'm extremely pleased with The Flood Co. The professionalism and expertise demonstrate by Jackson and Sam put my mind at ease, knowing we would be taken care of well. I would recommend The Flood Company to anyone in need of these services. They get a five star rating from us!
William Hansen
William Hansen
03:03 26 May 16
My main water line broke and our crawl space was flooding. I called my insurance company and they recommended these guys. Sam and Jesus showed up and got things taken care of. They stopped the water line and put fans to dry the area. The insurance process was super smooth I'm glad I called them!
Karla Maquin
Karla Maquin
04:11 06 May 16
Utah Flood Cleanup is amazing! Josh and Jesus stopped by after their shift and were kind enough to give us a free inspection of our flood problem. Our little 4 year old thought he'd make a sauna in the bathroom. He flipped the shower on and walked away. We never heard the water running and came upstairs to put my daughter to bed. Sure enough, the shower was pointed into the bathroom and flooded the whole thing. Josh and Jesus came out got the whole place inspected, pulled out themal meters and moisture meters and confirmed there was water damage (and old mold growth from previous spills). They grabbed their tools and began demolishing the floor themselves, right then and there so we could get fans on it to prevent future mold growth. I hope I never have another flood but if I do, I'm definitely calling them again! They're the best!!~~~
Jessica Means
Jessica Means
01:49 22 Apr 16
These guys are great to work with and really go above and beyond to serve their customers.
Zack Adams
Zack Adams
17:36 16 Dec 15
I called in the morning and they came that afternoon. Chris and Jesus came. They were professional, polite, knowledgeable and they quickly got the place all cleaned up and prepped for the repair. Then they recommended some handymen to do the repair. I hired Hank and he was great too. Did the whole job in one day.
Alan Green
Alan Green
20:37 16 Oct 15
You showed up to our house based upon little information. When you got here you went right to work looking to see what was going on. With being a family of 7, it can be a scramble being out of a bathroom and no shower. You were excellent and so kind on letting us know what our options are and what you can do to resolve the problem in our basement bathroom. With being in our new home, not even making a second mortgage payment yet, it is hard to discover there is mold and a water leak through out the basement bathroom and laundry room. I really appreciate the time you took out of your day to come to our house. My brother in law referred us to you, and it was the best referral, so thank you very much.
Ashley Metz
Ashley Metz
22:39 30 Sep 15

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