U-Haul offering free storage after fire

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The U-Haul Company of Austin is offering 30 days of free storage and U-Box Portable Storage to Texas residents whose homes have been damaged by wildfires, or those still needing to move their belongings away from areas being affected at this time.

With U-Box Portable Storage, customers pick up or the company delivers the U-Boxes, customers fill them up and the company stores them in a secure warehouse or deliver them to a location of the customer's choice.

In addition to the free self-storage being offered, U-Haul locations throughout Central Texas also will collect donations of new personal-hygiene items, along with new and gently used household goods, furniture and clothing for Texas residents whose homes have been destroyed.

Also, people who need boxes can take advantage of the U-Haul Take a Box, Leave a Box Program. The program enables customers to return their reusable boxes and allows others to take them as needed for free. U-Haul encourages anyone who has any type of reusable box to drop it off at the nearest U-Haul location and allow another family to reuse the box, free of charge, instead of throwing the reusable box into the recycling bin.

Families needing more information about the 30-days-free self-storage assistance program or residents who have items to donate should contact the regional office at 12611 Research Blvd. Austin, TX 78759, or call 512-331-7777.

"With more than 1,000 homes destroyed within the last several days, these wildfires have caused critical damage, and are continuing to spread throughout the communities we serve," said Wayne Towle, president, U-Haul Company of Austin. "I hope this effort will provide assistance to families that need a helping hand. We will continue to help our friends and neighbors in this time of need."