US loans offered for Uxbridge fire losses

The US Small Business Administration announced yesterday the availability of low-interest emergency loans for businesses lost in the fire that destroyed Bernat Mill in Uxbridge on Saturday.

According to a statement from the SBA, Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray dispatched a letter to the agency the day of the fire, calling for federal aid to the dozens of businesses and hundreds of employees affected by the eight-alarm fire.

"Our primary concern is to help as many businesses rebuild as possible and get people back to work as soon as possible," Murray told the Globe Saturday during the fire.

The government responded, and Governor Deval Patrick's office announced the financial assistance offer Monday.

SBA officials confirmed it yesterday.

"We look forward to working with Massachusetts and the people affected by the fire to make SBA disaster loans available," said Steven Preston, head of the Small Business Administration, in a statement.

An emergency recovery center has been set up in the cafeteria of Whitin Middle School, 120 Granite St., in Uxbridge.

Representatives from the SBA and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency will be on hand Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Business owners are encouraged to go there for information on assistance programs.

The SBA can also be reached at 800-659-2955.

Bernat Mill housed 65 businesses with a total of 300 to 500 employees.

More than 80 percent of the building was lost when the fire broke out in the center of the converted mill complex.

More than 400 firefighters from some three dozen communities took more than 24 hours to put out the fire.