ELK FIRE BUSINESS RESOURCE HUB
Your central source for business support and resources related to the Elk Fire. This page will be updated as new information becomes available.
Official Elk Fire updates should be obtained though Hinsdale County. You can find the latest updates at the HINSDALE COUNTY WEBSITE or by calling 970-299-5357
LAST UPDATED: August 12, 2026, 9:30am
This page is maintained by the Lake City Chamber of Commerce, partnered with Lake City DIRT, as a resource for local businesses affected by the Elk Fire. While we strive to keep information current, official fire updates, evacuation notices, and emergency orders should always be obtained from Hinsdale County and the appropriate emergency management agencies.
MEETINGS
Lake City Business Owners Zoom Meetings
Join fellow business owners for weekly updates and discussion.
Tuesday, August 11- at 3:00 PM
Zoom Information:
Wildfire Recovery Strategies – Colorado SBDC Weekly Forum
Colorado SBDC Wildfire Recovery Strategies Forum
The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is hosting a weekly Wildfire Recovery Strategies – Immediate Post-Disaster forum for business owners impacted by wildfires.
These sessions provide:
- Practical guidance for businesses navigating wildfire recovery
- Strategies to stabilize operations and plan for recovery
- Insights from businesses that have experienced previous wildfire impacts
- Live Q&A with SBDC advisors and business recovery experts from across Colorado
Whether you’re experiencing immediate financial impacts or planning for long-term recovery, these forums offer valuable information and resources to help your business move forward.
Frequency: Weekly (Tuesdays)
Registration: Wildfire Recovery Strategies-Immediate Post-Disaster Strategies
Business Resources
Colorado Tourism Office Crisis Communications Resources
Guidance and best practices for communicating with customers, visitors, and the public during and after the Elk Fire.
→ Colorado Tourism Office Crisis Communication Resources
Business Resiliency Guide
Access practical tools and strategies to help your business prepare, respond, and recover during emergencies.
→ ROO Disaster Resource Guide_June 2026
Disaster Planning & Recovery Resources for Businesses
Prepared by Region 10 and the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC), this resource provides guidance to help businesses prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. It includes planning tools, financial recovery information, business continuity resources, and links to additional assistance.
→ Disaster Planning and Recovery Resources for Businesses (1)
Colorado Disaster Recovery Resources
Statewide recovery resources for businesses, employees, and communities impacted by disasters.
→ Colorado Disaster Recovery
Emergency Aid Fund for Individuals & Businesses
The Elk Fire is creating significant impacts on our tourism-based economy. Because the fire is occurring during one of the busiest times of the year, the reduction in visitors is affecting many local residents, employees, and businesses.
To help our community during this challenging time, the Lake Fork Community Foundation has established an Emergency Aid Fund to provide financial assistance to individuals and businesses impacted by the Elk Fire.
How to Donate
- Visit www.lakeforkcf.org
- Select Donate
- Choose Emergency Aid Fund from the dropdown menu
All donations are tax-deductible and will help support our local workforce, families, and businesses during the recovery process.
Need Assistance?
Information on how individuals and Lake City businesses can apply for assistance will be announced soon. Funds will be distributed through Community Christian Services and the Lake City DIRT Main Street Program.
Thank you for supporting our neighbors and helping our community recover from the impacts of the Elk Fire.
Additional business resources and information compiled to support local businesses.
→ ready to go
Business Recovery Guidance
As the Elk Fire continues to impact our tourism-based economy, business owners are encouraged to take proactive steps now to strengthen their recovery efforts and prepare for potential assistance programs.
Document Your Business Impacts
Maintain detailed records of how the Elk Fire has affected your business. Consider tracking:
- Reservation and booking cancellations
- Lost sales and revenue
- Additional expenses related to the fire
- Employee impactsComparisons to the same time period in previous years
This documentation may be important if disaster assistance, grants, loans, or insurance claims become available.
Review Your Insurance Coverage
Contact your insurance agent to review your policy and discuss any business interruption or continuity coverage that may apply. If you haven’t spoken with your agent recently, now is a good time to reconnect and understand what your policy covers.
Plan for Recovery
Although summer business has been impacted, now is the time to begin planning for future seasons. Businesses planning to remain open this fall or winter should begin developing marketing strategies as early as possible. Marketing campaigns are most effective when planned several months in advance.
Emergency Business Loans
Region 10 is offering Emergency Business Loans of up to $15,000 for businesses experiencing immediate financial hardship due to lost income. Business owners interested in learning more should contact Sarah Steffens at Region 10 for eligibility and application information.
→ 2026 Fire Emergency Loans Doc
Lake City DIRT Revolving Loan Program
Lake City DIRT offers a revolving loan program for Lake City and Hinsdale County businesses, with loans up to $5,000 at 2% interest and repayment terms of 12, 24, or 48 months. Funds may be requested for business start-up, expansion, equipment, or new services.
→ Learn More & Access the DIRT Loan Application
2-1-1 Colorado Wildfire Resources
2-1-1 Colorado provides a centralized list of statewide resources for people and businesses impacted by Colorado wildfires, including disaster recovery support, insurance guidance, cleanup assistance, and connections to small business recovery resources. The page also provides access to additional help with housing, food, financial assistance, transportation, and other needs.
→ View 2-1-1 Colorado Wildfire Resources
Colorado Revolving Loan Fund
Program Summary: The Colorado Revolving Loan Fund provides loans that help small to medium-sized Colorado businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These loans range from $5,000 to $750,000. These loans are intended to provide startup and working capital to help create and retain jobs across Colorado. The maximum interest rate is 10%, and the expected average interest rate of these loans is 4%. Loans may be character-based and may have terms up to 20 years based on the type of loan. This fund prioritizes socially and economically disadvantaged businesses and non-profits. We will work with community-based organizations to reach people, and extend effort to assist and qualify these types of businesses including using non-traditional underwriting criteria such as character-based lending and providing bi-lingual support where possible. These loans are funded by the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration and is administered by these Colorado-based nonprofit lenders:B:Side Fund (formerly Colorado Lending Source)
- -Colorado Enterprise Fund
- -Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado
Eligible organizations include any registered for-profit business and non-profit organizations.
Borrowers can come from a wide variety of business sectors including outdoor recreation, tourism, food services, hospitality, and creative organizations. To the extent permitted by federal law and regulation, we hope to provide loans to USDA-certified hemp businesses and value-added hemp manufacturing businesses.
This fund places a special focus on serving historically underserved market segments and customer groups which include:
- -minority
- -Native American or tribal
- -immigrant
- -women
- -isabled veteran
- -businesses in low-income and rural communities
- -employee-ownedans
The CLIMBER (Colorado Loans to Increase Mainstreet Business Economic Resiliency)
Loan Fund provides up to $250 million in working capital loans to Colorado small businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic and ongoing economic struggles. It promotes small businesses’ resiliency, creates and saves jobs, and helps support the Colorado economy.
Lenders, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), credit unions, and nonprofit lenders can participate and provide loans for their small business customers needing financial assistance.
Small businesses with 1 to 99 employees that were financially stable before the pandemic but now need help to survive may apply for working capital loans between $10,000 and $500,000. Below-market interest rates and a one-year deferred payment option make the program a secure recovery option for small businesses.
Step 1: Establish if you meet program qualifications.
Your business is:
- -A for-profit corporation, partnership, or association incorporated in Colorado,
- -Filed with the Colorado Secretary of State as a foreign entity authorized in Colorado,
- -A nonprofit entity incorporated in Colorado, or
- -A sole proprietorship owned by a Colorado resident with primary operations in Colorado
- -You have more than 51% of your employees based in Colorado.
- -You have up to 99 employees (Part-time employees can be aggregated as FTEs to stay within 99-employee maximum)
- -Your business had a 1-year positive cash flow in the previous 5 years; and
- -Your business has a debt service coverage ratio of at least 1:1
Helpful Documents
Hinsdale County Local Disaster & Emergency Declaration
On August 7, 2026, Hinsdale County issued a Local Disaster or Emergency Declaration in response to the Elk Fire and its ongoing physical and economic impacts. The declaration activates the Hinsdale County Emergency Operations Plan and provides the County with additional authority to respond to the emergency.
Check Back Often
This page will be updated regularly with new resources, meeting information, official announcements, and recovery assistance opportunities for businesses affected by the Elk Fire.
Need Assistance?
The Lake City Chamber of Commerce is committed to supporting our local business community during the Elk Fire. If you have questions about business resources, would like to suggest additional information for this page, or need assistance connecting with the appropriate organization, please contact the Chamber Director at [email protected].
For current fire conditions, evacuation information, or official incident updates, please contact Hinsdale County and follow official county communications.
If you have questions about available community resources, assistance programs, or where to find support services, please contact Lake City DIRT.
To receive Sunshine emails from Hinsdale County, email [email protected] and request to be added to the distribution list.