HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
THE STORY
My journey here began in late 2021, after working three seasons in wildland fire—two in dispatch, one on an engine. While forging connections in the tight-knit fire community, I began to see some of the various struggles wildland firefighters face—including lack of financial support during times of medical emergencies. By the end of 2021, I felt a profound calling to contribute in a unique and slightly unconventional way.
I knew I wanted to venture into the business world, and I wanted to help my bothers and sisters in fire, so A&FC emerged as a way to blend those two concepts. By early 2022, the idea for "candles with a cause" was born, and my journey to assist the wildland fire community through candles began.
Meet the team
OWNER
DANNA
I like to think of myself as the woman who wears all of the hats - Candle-Pourer, Director of Sales & Marketing, Customer Service Representative... You name it, I do it! I'm also the one who packs your orders and hand-writes your thank you cards—because I believe you're worth it.
Supervisor / Quality Control
TATER
I'm the one who keeps Mom—I mean, Danna—on task. I supervise the daily A&FC operations, I help unpack supply boxes, and I may or may not taste-test the occasional biodegradable packing peanut and crinkle paper.
Supportive Husband /Creative Genius
He-Who-shall-not-be-named
My unofficial job is to generate relevant candle scents and names. I also pose as the male hand model. When I'm not fighting fire, I can usually be found fishing or nerding out to a new audiobook series.
LOVE & LIGHT
The mission
My commitment is to spread love and light in an often-dark world through the art of small-batch, hand-poured, and meticulously crafted candles.
Furthermore, I proudly donate 5% of all sales to support injured wildland firefighters and their families, as well as the families of those who've made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
As of January 2025, A&FC has helped raise over $3,000 for the wildland fire community through direct monetary donations and product donations. This wouldn't be possible without you. THANK YOU!
Pillars of business
Symbolic Nature
THE NAME
In wildland firefighting, "anchor and flank" refers to a firefighting strategy. Firefighters start at a safe, secure "anchor point," and, from there, they work along the sides of the fire (the flanks), extinguishing flames and preventing the fire from spreading further. This strategy is crucial in our daily lives as well, in the sense that we all need a safe, secure anchor point from which to venture out and tackle life.
THE LOGO
"The mountain depicted in the Anchor and Flank Candles logo is very personal to me. It represents Mount Redoubt—an active stratovolcano in the Aleutian Chain. When I was growing up in smalltown Alaska, any time I looked west across the Cook Inlet, I would see Mount Redoubt, in all it's snow-covered glory. This mountain, translating to "a fortified place" in Russian, is my personal anchor point—symbolizing home, family roots and safety. I couldn't think of a more fitting logo for a business named "Anchor and Flank." -Danna
Donations
I proudly donate candles/products to individuals and fundraisers that aim to bring in even more funds to help our brothers and sisters in the greater first responder community.
If you're interested in obtaining products for a fundraiser, please reach out via the form below.
DONATIONS FORM
Please include your name, contact information, and some details on your fundraiser. When and where is the event happening? How many people do you expect to attend? When is the deadline for donation items? I enjoy learning what and who my items are helping, and it also gives me a better idea of what to donate.
Thank you!