Ryan Chagonjian is quite familiar with fire hoses. After all, this Napan is a fire captain at station No. 2, near Napa High School.
But Chagonjian also uses the industrial strength hoses in a different way — for art.
During his off hours, this firefighter runs a small business called Custom Fire Flags.
Using surplus fire hoses, he crafts American flag displays, which he sells online or donates for various fundraisers.
"I started when I made one as a gift for my station," said Chagonjian, who has been a firefighter for 10 years, the past seven in Napa.
Then Chagonjian made a flag for a Napa High School booster club crab feed auction, which ended up selling for a few thousand dollars, he said.
"That was pretty cool, for sure," said Chagonjian. "From there we started selling them on the side," and have continued donating flags for special events.
He's also presented flags to families of firefighters that have died.
He's been making the flags for about seven years, during which he's probably crafted 200 to 300 pieces, said Chagonjian. Today, he has a website for his flags: customfireflags.com.
"We turned it into a business when we saw how popular it was with folks, even non-fire people," said Chagonjian. It turns out that the flags "have a lot of meaning to a lot of different people."
The firefighter estimates his flags have helped raised more than $150,000 for various causes and nonprofits including the Boys & Girls Club, the Salvation Army, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and for firefighters who have lost homes in the wildfires.
"It's kind of a cool thing," he said of the money raised.
Each of the flags made by Chagonjian is made up of cut fire hose pieces which are flattened and then nailed into flag "stripes." Depending on the section, the hoses are painted either blue or red. Chagonjian then laser cuts stars for the flag.
He also custom makes each frame using wood and a finishing technique called torching.
Chagonjian does the work in a garage shop at his home in Napa. His tools include a laser cutting machine, chop saw, nail gun, router, and other equipment.
"I make a few different sizes," ranging from small to large, said Chagonjian. According to his website, prices range from $100 to $399.
The medium-sized flag (24 inches by 40 inches) is the most popular, said Chagonjian. "It's got a hose coupling in it which is pretty neat. It's a good size for hanging in the house."
The business also sells packets of laser-cut wooden stars, stars cut out of hose material, and hats. New products include a beer bottle opener and porch flags, which are meant to stand on end.
And the work has become a family affair, Chagonjian said. "My brother-in-law helps me sometimes. My wife or sister-in-law will help do the stars. We get the whole family involved."
This small business owner said that he gets the used hoses from surplus auctions that sell fire hoses that are either "blown," or have been decommissioned because the service life has expired, Chagonjian explained. Depending on the intended use, the diameters of the hoses vary.
So far, the farthest he's mailed one of his flags has been to the East Coast said Chagonjian. In fact, this week he sent a flag to a customer in New York state.
He's also made variations on the traditional red, white and blue American flag. One order called for a police-themed flag with a single blue line. He was also once asked to make a Canadian flag.
Chagonjian said over the years he's refined his flag art. At first, he was stenciling the stars onto the flags. But the laser-cut stars are better, he said. "I can do anything on that laser machine."
Chagonjian can also make plaques and signs, such as station logos, for each framed flag.
"We get a lot of requests for stuff like that and we can make it happen," he said.
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