Most businesses in Cascade Locks have had to shut down since the start of the Eagle Creek Fire. That amounts to millions of dollars of lost revenue for the community.
"We have all been shut down since Sept. 3. So we wanted to facilitate a way for people to show us some support and generate a little revenue during this catastrophe," said Caroline Park, owner of Thunder Island Brewing.
Park started a website called Cascade Locks Strong, where people can buy gift cards for local businesses. The idea is to help generate revenue for small businesses that had to close their doors due to the fire.
September is usually one of the busiest months in the community, but the Eagle Creek Fire has forced most businesses to close.
"It’s like a ghost town out here," Park said. "This may be a make-it-or-break-it moment for a lot of our folks out here."
Cascade Locks was recently downgraded from Level 3 mandatory evacuation to Level 2, which means most people can go home.
But with prolonged closures of I-84, it will some time before business resumes as normal in the community.
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