MILLCREEK, Utah — As families pick up the pieces after a devastating fire in Millcreek, people from across Utah are stepping up to help.
On Sunday, a steady stream of community members arrived at Millcreek City Hall, dropping off donations for more than 70 people who were displaced in Friday’s fire. The blaze destroyed at least two dozen apartments.
“So, the fire started Friday afternoon, and we started receiving donations Friday evening just from people hearing about the fire and seeing how devastating it was,” said Millcreek City Councilmember Cheri Jackson, who represents District 3.
Millcreek community rallies together after fire, and how you can help:
The response was so overwhelming that volunteers had to fill multiple rooms inside City Hall to store the donated items.
“People need it, and we have to take care of our community,” said Denise Blacks, one of many who showed up to help on Sunday.
For Blacks, the disaster hit close to home. She lost everything in the wildfires that swept through Maui in August 2023.
“You can’t really describe the loss you feel,” she said. “There’s a lot of just, ‘Oh, they’re just things.’ Yeah, but they’re things that contain memories — a fire is just so permanent.”
So far, 152 donations have come in, totaling nearly $17,000, according to Millcreek City Councilmember Bev Uipi.
“We’ve been receiving a lot of donations as far as clothing and goods,” Jackson said. “What we would actually like is donations of money. These families are going to have to put a deposit for new apartments, they’re going to have to replace some other personal things. We’re grateful for how the community has stepped up.”
Jackson added that monetary donations can be made here.
“That’s what we’re supposed to do—take care of one another,” Blacks said.
