As another summer Colorado fire—the 416 Fire—burns 13 miles north of Durango, Gov. John Hickenlooper encourages tourists to continue visiting the mountain city.
“Durango is open for business,” Hickenlooper said at a news conference from Denver, according to the Denver7 News. “Durango, probably their greatest risk right now is people are going to be looking at canceling visits down the road. I understand where people are coming from, but it’s certainly unnecessary. …If you want to help the people of Durango and La Plata County, go down to Durango and visit.”
The 416 Fire was estimated to be as large as 49,000 acres in early July, yet it has not claimed any homes so far, according to Newsweek.
Cities such as Durango rely heavily on tourism. According to Denver7, Durango residents and small business owners are concerned about the fire’s impact on the local economy. Durango is known for its scenic railroads, the Animas River, and Purgatory Resort.
According to the general manager of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, if the rail line is closed for a considerable amount of time it could cost the the local economy millions.
“Small businesses in the towns of Durango and Silverton depend on the tourist industry for survival. It is imperative that tourists visiting the area know these towns are open for business,” said NFIB Colorado State Director Tony Gagliardi. “NFIB would like to thank the hundreds of firefighters and first responders protecting the lives and property of the community.”
Although the Durango Area Tourism Office told the Durango Herald that tourism to the area has been largely unaffected so far, Hickenlooper cited concerns for the local economy.
“I think everybody is worried. We know from experience, when you have natural disasters, often times where damage really occurs is when people interrupt and disrupt their travel plans, and a lot of the small business in the affected areas really suffer,” he said.
As of early July, the fire has been 37 percent contained.
“One of the big reasons to speak out today and make sure we emphasize again that public safety is our highest priority is we’re not going to let people go to any place that is unsafe,” Hickenlooper said. “Durango is safe and we’ve just got to make sure people hear that. It’s a safe, wonderful place to be.”
