The Bolt Creek Fire has been challenging for our Sky Valley businesses.

**All donations will be distributed to affected businesses through the Sky Valley Chamber. They do NOT need to be Chamber members. It will be a simple grant process that documents their losses.**

We are truly grateful that we haven’t lost any lives or buildings, but small business dreams are hanging in the balance for some.

The fire began on Sept 10th in the Beckler Ridge area, causing evacuations on and off for the next week and a half. In a matter of hours since the start of the fire, intense, heavy smoke and ash enveloped the Valley, choking out all outdoor activities. Giant trees and rocks started crashing down from the steep mountainside crossing Highway 2 near Money Creek, closing the highway.

Recreation businesses include guides, tour operators, ATVs, hunting/fishing, hikers, and rock climbers. Exceptional event businesses, including weddings, catering, florists, musicians, venues, lodging, and all of the small companies that do maintenance and cleaning for them, were essentially shut down. You don’t choose to go to an area where you can’t breathe the air or even see the mountain or river across from your rented cabin. As revenues dropped, keeping employees on staff became one of their most significant issues. Some used savings to keep them, but it went on much longer than they had resources to cover.

All of the area’s food and beverage businesses, from Monroe to Skykomish, struggled because of the highway closures, and even the locals couldn’t come out during that time because of the dangerous air quality. It was over six weeks with no or drastically reduced income. It wasn’t just the decreasing sales that cost them. It was also the lost perishable inventory that had to be thrown away. For those in Skykomish and Baring, it was the 2nd time they had to throw everything out. The first was when PUD had to shut all power to that area off to aid firefighting efforts. They lost everything in their coolers and freezers.

Our Sky Valley community is very resilient and doesn't usually seek help. Still, it’s looking like support will need to come from the private sector, as fires don’t usually qualify for government aid. We are still working on it, but even if it happens, it will take time and will probably only include low-interest loans.

Economic Alliance of Snohomish County stepped up to help us by hosting a fundraising event on Nov. 10th. We are very grateful to them and the sponsors: The Boeing Company, Puget Sound Energy, and the Angel of the Winds Arena.

All donations will be distributed through the Sky Valley Chamber to affected businesses. They do NOT need to be Chamber members. It will be a simple grant process that documents their losses. We’ve had experience implementing grants by working with the City of Sultan during the pandemic.

We know this won’t even come close to making our businesses whole, but it will help. Skykomish businesses are down an average of 65% to 75% compared to last year. Last year, they were starting to come out of covid restrictions~ so there was a low bar in place already. To say it’s been challenging would be an understatement. Nearly all food and beverage businesses from Skykomish to Monroe are down. Rough estimates bring the losses for the Sky Valley Businesses over $500,000.

Our people remain positive, hopeful, and genuinely grateful even during this difficult time. It’s lovely to be part of such a caring community. Thank you all for your support!