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Five Years After Labor Day Wildfires, Jackson County Businesses Receive $1.2M to Keep Rebuilding News By Diane Megaw On Mar 15, 2026 The Bear Lake Estates mobile home park in Phoenix, Oregon - destroyed in the Almeda fire 2020 JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — Jackson County businesses struggling to rebuild after the devastating 2020 Labor Day Wildfires, from which the state has not yet fully recovered, are receiving $1.2 million in grants and loans through the ReOregon disaster recovery initiative to help cover rebuilding costs. $1.2 Million More Headed To Jackson County Businesses For Post-Wildfire Rebuilding Managed through the Planning, Infrastructure, and Economic Revitalization (PIER) program by Oregon Housing and Community Services, the ReOregon initiative, Illinois Valley Community Development Organization (IVCanDO), a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Cave Junction, Oregon, currently has two major initiatives in the county: The Microenterprise Grant Program is designed to help small businesses with five or fewer employees that are affected by the Almeda and South Obenchain Fires. The PIER Loan Fund offers fixed, low-interest loans to enhance working capital and support credit building for businesses in fire-impacted areas. Topic Microenterprise Grant Program PIER Loan Fund Business size Five or fewer employees 100 or fewer employees Aid size Up to $15,000 Typical loans from $10,000 to $50,000 Uses Working capital, repairs, hiring, inventory, marketing Payroll, equipment, rent, capital improvements, marketing Timing Round 2 open Jan. 23 to March 31, 2026 Open now / no deadline listed Support Application help and interpretation support No cost SOU SBDC advising These programs are just two of several measures designed to contribute to rebuilding after the 2020 wildfires. They aim to revitalize the local economy and support small businesses in their recovery efforts. Jackson County Still Recovering From 2020 Labor Day Fires Five years after the Almeda and South Obenchain fires, local recovery leaders say the region is still years away from full recovery, with housing and workforce rebuilding expected to take a decade or more. Tidings Data Snapshot Jackson County Wildfire Damage By The Numbers 2,500 Residential properties destroyed 1,600 Manufactured homes lost 18 Mobile home parks affected 180 Commercial properties destroyed 8,500 People displaced Source: Oregon DLCD Almeda fire damage and recovery report Dailytidings.com A recent report indicates that “It’s going to take a decade or more to restore the housing and to rebuild the needed workforce capacity.” In Royal Oaks , rebuilding is still not complete. While some housing projects came back more quickly, it is estimated that it will take almost five years to rebuild Royal Oaks after the debilitating fires. Jackson County Southern Oregon Share Twitter Facebook ReddIt WhatsApp Pinterest Email