INTERACTIVE: Leadville Businesses Hit by Willow Fire and Drought Have Until July 2027 to Get Federal Help

The SBA's Business Recovery Center extended its stay in Leadville through Nov. 30 — but even after it leaves, disaster loans remain available. Here's how to find out if your business qualifies.

The Willow Fire ignited in June. A dry winter kept visitors away. And Leadville's historic Main Street — the heartbeat of a mountain economy that runs on tourism — has felt every bit of it. Now, federal disaster loans are on the table for businesses hurt by either the fire or the drought, and a one-on-one support team is still in town to walk owners through every step.

• Nov. 30 — SBA Center Open Through
• July 23, 2027 — Loan Application Deadline

If you own or operate a small business in the Leadville area, this story is about your bottom line. The Willow Fire and a prolonged drought have squeezed tourism — the engine that drives Lake County's economy — and the federal government has formally recognized the damage. That recognition unlocks real money: Economic Injury Disaster Loans available through the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The SBA set up a Business Recovery Center inside the Lake County Public Library on Nov. 2. The agency originally planned a short stay, but quickly realized one week wasn't enough. It extended through Nov. 30 to give more business owners a chance to sit down with a customer service representative and work through the application in person.

Your Eligibility Assessment

• SBA Center Open Through
• Loan Application Deadline

Visit the Lake County Public Library in Leadville before Nov. 30 for in-person help. The Colorado SBDC Central Mountain Region remains available after the SBA departs.

• Nov. 2 — Center Opened — Lake County Public Library
• Nov. 30 — SBA Center Closes — Extended from original one-week stay
• July 23, 2027 — Loan Deadline — Economic Injury Disaster Loans
• 12 years — Ann Stanek in Leadville — HarperRose Gallery and Goods

Ann Stanek has watched Leadville's rhythms for 12 years from behind the counter of HarperRose Gallery and Goods. She sells local and regional art and goods to the athletes, heritage travelers, and history hunters who make Main Street their destination. This year, the foot traffic simply didn't show up the way it used to.

Tourism is the economic foundation of Leadville — not a supplement to it. When snow is scarce, bookings fall. When a wildfire closes roads and triggers evacuations, visitors stay home. Both happened in 2026, and the cumulative effect is what the SBA's disaster loan program is designed to address.

How the Willow Fire and Drought Shaped Leadville's 2026

• Winter 2025–26 — Low snowfall dampens tourism season
• June 2026 — Willow Fire ignites near Leadville
• Nov. 2, 2026 — SBA opens Business Recovery Center at Lake County Public Library
• Nov. 30, 2026 — SBA center closes — SBDC remains in community
• July 23, 2027 — Deadline to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans

The SBA's Amber Carrillo put it plainly: a single week was never going to be enough time for Leadville's business owners to take full advantage of what the recovery center offers. The extension through Nov. 30 buys more time for one-on-one sessions with customer service representatives who can walk applicants through the entire loan process.

But the SBA's departure at the end of November doesn't mean the support disappears. Sam Block, a client and program manager with the Colorado Small Business Development Center's Central Mountain Region, will stay in the community long after the federal team packs up. His role is exactly what it sounds like — a guide for business owners who don't know where to start.

How to Apply for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan

1. Visit the SBA Business Recovery Center before Nov. 30 — The center is located inside the Lake County Public Library in Leadville. Customer service representatives will walk you through the process in person.
2. Identify your qualifying disaster — Applications can be tied to the Willow Fire, the drought, or both. SBA representatives can help you determine which disaster declaration covers your specific losses.
3. Gather your business financial documents — Tax returns, profit and loss statements, and evidence of economic injury (revenue comparisons, booking records) will strengthen your application. The SBA representative can tell you exactly what's needed for your business type.
4. Contact the Colorado SBDC after Nov. 30 — Sam Block and the Colorado Small Business Development Center's Central Mountain Region remain in the community after the SBA departs. They provide free one-on-one guidance through the application process.
5. Submit before July 23, 2027 — The official deadline for Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications is July 23, 2027. Don't wait — the in-person support available now won't last that long.

Two Ways to Get Help — Before and After Nov. 30

How Well Do You Know the Leadville Recovery Program?

Four questions on the disaster loans available to mountain business owners.

The SBA Business Recovery Center originally opened Nov. 2. Why did it extend its stay through Nov. 30?

• A new fire broke out in November — No new disaster prompted the extension. The SBA's Amber Carrillo explained that one week simply wasn't enough time for Leadville business owners to use the services the center offers.
• One week wasn't enough time for business owners to access services — Correct. Carrillo cited the short original window as the direct reason — business owners needed more time to sit with representatives and work through the loan application process.
• The SBA received additional federal funding — The extension wasn't about new funding — it was about giving Leadville business owners adequate time to access the loan assistance the center was already there to provide.
• The library requested the extension — The library hosts the center, but the extension decision came from the SBA based on the community's need for more time — not from the host venue.

The SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans available in Leadville are tied to which events?

• Only the Willow Fire — The fire was the original trigger for the disaster declaration, but the SBA center helps business owners apply for loans tied to either the Willow Fire or the drought — both qualify separately.
• Only the drought — Drought qualifies on its own, but it's not the only basis. The SBA's Carrillo specifically stated that loans are available for businesses affected by either the Willow Fire or the drought.
• Either the Willow Fire or the drought — Correct. Business owners can apply for economic injury tied to the Willow Fire, the drought, or both. The SBA customer service reps are there to walk applicants through whichever basis applies.
• Only businesses that were directly evacuated — Direct evacuation isn't required. The SBA recognizes broader economic injury — including lost tourism revenue from drought and fire-related closures — as qualifying grounds for disaster loans.

After the SBA leaves Leadville at the end of November, who can still help business owners navigate the loan application?

• No one — the application window closes with the center — The loan deadline isn't tied to the SBA center's presence. Applications remain open until July 23, 2027, and the Colorado SBDC stays in the community to help after the SBA departs.
• Sam Block and the Colorado Small Business Development Center — Correct. Sam Block, a client and program manager with the Colorado SBDC's Central Mountain Region, specifically noted he will remain in the community to provide one-on-one support through the recovery process.
• Ann Stanek at HarperRose Gallery — Ann Stanek is a Leadville business owner — she's going through the recovery process herself. The ongoing support structure after Nov. 30 is the Colorado Small Business Development Center.
• Lake County Public Library staff — The library hosts the SBA center, but library staff aren't the loan guidance resource. That role belongs to Sam Block and the Colorado SBDC's Central Mountain Region after the SBA leaves.

Ann Stanek describes Leadville's economy as primarily driven by what?

• Mining and industrial activity — Mining is part of Leadville's heritage — Stanek mentioned it as a draw for visitors — but it's not what currently drives the local economy. Tourism is the engine she identifies as the heartbeat of Leadville.
• Federal government contracts — Federal contracts don't factor into Stanek's description of Leadville's economy. She points to athletes, recreation visitors, and heritage tourism as the people who keep Main Street alive.
• Tourism — Correct. Stanek, who has owned HarperRose Gallery and Goods for 12 years, describes tourism as the heartbeat of Leadville — drawing athletes, recreation visitors, and people interested in the town's mining heritage and historic Main Street.
• Agricultural production — Agriculture doesn't appear in Stanek's or the SBA's description of Leadville's economy. The story turns on tourism — and what happens when drought and wildfire keep visitors away.

What makes Leadville's recovery story distinct is what the town is recovering toward — not just what it's recovering from. The historic Main Street that Stanek describes isn't a backdrop; it's the product itself. The mining heritage, the high-altitude recreation, the community that has built something worth visiting: those are the assets that make federal disaster assistance worth pursuing.

The loan deadline of July 23, 2027 gives business owners significant runway. But the in-person support — the kind where a federal representative sits across a table and walks you through every field — is only available through Nov. 30. Leadville's businesses have worked too hard to leave that resource unused.

Get Help Before the Deadline

• SBA Business Recovery Center: Open through Nov. 30, 2026 at the Lake County Public Library in Leadville. In-person help applying for Economic Injury Disaster Loans tied to the Willow Fire or drought.
• Colorado Small Business Development Center — Central Mountain Region: Free one-on-one support navigating the disaster loan application, available even after the SBA center closes. The SBDC remains in the Leadville community.
• Application Deadline: July 23, 2027: Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications for the Willow Fire and drought must be submitted by July 23, 2027. Don't wait for the SBA center to be your only option.

About the Willow Fire and the Drought That Hit Leadville

The Willow Fire ignited in June 2026 and prompted a federal disaster declaration that opened the door to SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans for affected businesses. The fire forced road closures, building closures, and evacuations — all of which reduced access to and foot traffic through Leadville's commercial district.

The drought compound problem predates the fire. A dry winter meant less snow, and without snow, visitors — the athletes, heritage tourists, and recreation-seekers who sustain Main Street — were less motivated to book trips to the area. Tourism is the economic engine that powers Leadville, and both the fire and the drought eroded it through 2026.

For more Denver7 reporting on Colorado's drought conditions, visit the drought coverage page linked in the sources below.

What Business Owners Should Know — and What's Sometimes Misunderstood

You have to be directly in the fire zone to qualify for SBA disaster loans.

Verdict: false

Economic injury from reduced tourism, road closures, or drought-driven drops in foot traffic qualifies — not just direct fire damage. The SBA's Amber Carrillo confirmed that businesses affected by either the Willow Fire or the drought may apply.

The SBA center leaving Leadville means the application window closes.

Verdict: false

The official deadline to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans is July 23, 2027 — well after the SBA center closes Nov. 30. The Colorado Small Business Development Center also remains in the community to help with applications.

Business owners have to navigate the SBA loan application on their own.

Verdict: false

The SBA center at Lake County Public Library provides in-person walk-throughs with customer service representatives through Nov. 30. Sam Block and the Colorado SBDC's Central Mountain Region continue to offer free one-on-one guidance after the SBA departs.

Sources & References

• Primary source: Denver7 — Ethan Carlson
• Denver7 — Willow Fire Coverage — Willow Fire at Lake County Regional Airport and disaster declaration reporting
• Denver7 — Drought Coverage — Colorado drought conditions and community impact reporting