$10, $25, or $50 Donation to Help Accion in Colorado Provide Small-Business Loans in Areas Affected by Wildfires

$10, $25, or $50 Donation to Help Accion in Colorado Provide Small-Business Loans in Areas Affected by Wildfires

The Issue: Harmful Impact of Wildfires on Local Businesses The Waldo Canyon wildfire, which may have begun on June 23 as a fire burning on a hiking trail west of Colorado Springs, eventually spread to burn 18,247 acres of land, destroy 347 homes, and take the lives of two people, according to a report by the Denver Post. Following ongoing action by local firefighters, the fire was 95% contained as of July 6, and had cost roughly $14.5 million to fight. Two other fires were concurrently burning along the Colorado Front Range. Wildfires deeply impact neighborhoods and the business community, and as the Firestorm blog reports, their economic effects extend to the long term. The damage to the forests will limit the influx of tourists, which will in turn take a financial toll on the hospitality industry and its suppliers. Some small busine