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Why do East Bench gutters matter beyond water?
The East Bench Master Plan places the community at the base of the Wasatch foothills, with older homes in its western part and newer homes on the slopes of the eastern foothills. The city's wildland urban interface page lists East Bench maps among the neighborhood-specific maps, and says only properties shown on the city's WUI map are subject to the WUI code. It also notes that the state required cities to adopt the state's WUI code before January 1, 2026.
USU Extension's ember-awareness publication explains why that matters in the gutter. Embers are the leading cause of home ignitions during wildfires: most, at least 50 percent, are started by burning embers carried through the air. If there is no organic debris such as needle litter next to walls, in the rain gutters or against a roof dormer, embers are typically not enough to ignite a structure.
Distance from the fire front is less protection than it looks. The same publication explains that embers can ignite vulnerable parts of a house directly, or ignite nearby vegetation and other combustibles that then ignite the house, so even homes many blocks and up to a mile away from the main fire are vulnerable. A lot high on the bench does not have to border open land for its gutters to matter.
What should come out of the gutters this fall?
Everything organic. The same USU publication says debris must be removed from roofs and gutters as part of maintaining a fire-resistant landscape, and its photos show pine needles burning in a rain gutter and against a dormer. A cleaning after the leaves and needles have dropped leaves nothing in the gutter for an ember to catch.
Where do the leaves go afterward?
Salt Lake City's waste and recycling team says leaves are compostable and belong in the brown compost bin. It asks residents to keep the street gutters clear too, sweeping clean leaves into the compost bin, because leaves can block storm drains and cause flooding, or wash into local streams, where decomposing debris depletes the oxygen aquatic life needs.
Who should do the ladder work?
The city's fire department offers a free wildfire property assessment, which is a good first step for a lot on the WUI map. For the cleanup itself, 24/7 Express Handyman Service does gutter cleaning and pine needle removal from roofs and gutters on the East Bench. Each job's price is on its own page, linked below.