FREMONT CENTER — It was a brush fire that sparked an idea for Tanya Hubbert.

With the help of crews from surrounding departments, members of the Hankins-Fremont Fire Department spent two days fighting back the flames that consumed more than 60 acres in the Tennanah Lake area in spring 2023. 

Winds common in April made for a fast-moving fire that quickly burned through the dry brush, and members of the various departments put in hours of work to hold it back, even returning to the scene later to put out hot spots. 

During that time, the volunteer firefighters couldn’t simply walk away to get something to eat or even a bottle of water, Hubbert said. 

Bringing food, water and other supplies to support volunteer crews on long calls is a job that typically falls to a fire department’s auxiliary, something Hankins-Fremont didn’t have. The department was formed when two separate volunteer organizations — one each from Hankins and Fremont Center — joined in 1996. 

Although the two original departments had their own auxiliaries, none was created to augment the services of the new department – at least not until Hubbert saw an opportunity to create something new in her community. 

Shortly after the brush fire, she began talking to other women, women like her who had a family member — or several — in the department. Her plan? To set up an auxiliary to be what she dubbed “a support system” in situations just like that brush fire, but also to create an organization that could offer community services at the firehouse. 

“We want to bring community back to Fremont,” she explained, listing out projects from holiday parties for local children to Bingo games that the auxiliary hopes to host.

In November, the official Hankins-Fremont Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary Inc. was launched with Tanya Hubbert serving as president, Mackenzie Houghtaling as secretary, Jenny Phelps as treasurer and Michelle Berner as vice president. 

Joining their ranks were Alberta Hillriegel, Kate Bowers, Colleen Flynn, Dawn Fredo, Twila Herbert, Natalie O’Neil, Karent Matsu-Greenberg and Maylee Phelps. 

Together, they’ve begun fundraising and slowly building out their services for the community, from a Christmas party for local kids to a drinks and sandwich buggy planned for this year’s Fremont Memorial Day Parade. 

With plans to build, they’re looking for new members to join and donations to help grow. For information, email hankinsfremontladiesauxiliary@gmail.com or visit them on Facebook.