SUMMERFIELD, N.C. — A volunteer firefighter hopes to transform fire hoses and lives through her bag-making business.

What You Need To Know

Janelle Robinson came up with the idea for Burn Bags USA through her work as a volunteer firefighter and EMT

A major goal of the business is to help women transform their lives

Burn Bags are sold in stores across the country and online

Janelle Robinson discovered a passion for firefighting and a desire to join its tight-knit community when she turned 40. She became a volunteer firefighter and EMT with Summerfield Fire District, and her new career led to an adventure in the business world.

“We got a whole bunch of new hose one year, and a lot of it was going to get thrown away. I asked my chief if I could take some of it home and try to make something out of it,” Robinson said.

That experiment became Burn Bags USA. The business features different styles of bags made out of old fire hoses. Through it, she found an opportunity to help women put out the fires in their own lives. Women from Tabitha Ministry, a local recovery program, help her get bags out the door.

“They help tag everything and get everything ready for shipping, then package them, label them, and we get everything out to the post office with their help,” Robinson said.

Chrystal Ziglar, who manages daily operations for Burn Bags USA, and Bree Woods, who oversees shipping for the business, are two of them. Ziglar said Tabitha Ministry exists to help women rebuild their worlds after prison, abuse, addiction, homelessness, debilitating mental health battles and anything else they might face.

“I am a recovering addict, an alcoholic. … I think I started using when I was 12. That was the first time I drank alcohol,” Ziglar said.

She hadn’t worked in about 15 years before entering recovery. Now, she’s about to celebrate three years of sobriety and wants to help other women find their way forward. She said these opportunities have changed her life.

“Finding that desire within myself to be a contributor to society again, because I had lost that,” Ziglar said.

Burn Bags can be found in various stores across the country. More information about the bags and their mission is available here.