vernonia rural fire protection district
december21
2017
19
Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District
Chimney Fires
It’s that time of year again where
everyone with a fireplace or wood burn-
ing stove is heating their homes during
our colder winter months. While there
are few things more enjoyable than sit-
ting near a nice crackling fire in your
fireplace, or sitting near that nice warm
wood burning stove, there is a hidden
danger slowly building up in your chim-
ney called, “creosote.”
Over time the smoke created
by your fire builds up a sticky tar-like
substance. Creosote builds up faster in
chimneys that are used with wood stoves
designed to get the most heat out of the
wood that you are burning. Damping
down the air supply, causing the wood
to burn more slowly, causes more smoke
and unburnt particulates to flow up
through your chimney.
Most chimney fires occur when
you first get your wood burning stove
going with a hot fire. The increase in
temperature ignites the buildup of creo-
sote on the lining of your chimney. But
they can occur with little to no warning.
It’s important to always monitor your
heating system for any signs that might
indicate that you have a problem.
Creosote burns at an extremely
high temperature, and your chimney,
which was designed to carry the smoke
out of your home, is now on fire, spew-
ing smoke, ash, and in most cases, sparks
and even flames out of the top of your
chimney. These sparks and burning em-
bers can fall on your rooftop and ignite
your roofing material.
It’s important to clean your
chimney on a regular basis. If you are
unsure how or unable to clean your
chimney, there are reputable companies
that you can call for assistance. For more
information on how to clean your chim-
ney, you can find information on the in-
ternet. (See end of article.)
Well-designed chimneys have
been built with this possibility in mind.
Even so, chimney fires can burn at ex-
treme temperatures which can cause se-
vere damage to your chimney system. If
your chimney system fails, the extreme
heat can cause combustible materi-
als near it to ignite.
Some signs of chimney fires in-
clude:
• Loud cracking popping noise
• A lot of dense smoke that can
puff in and out of the air inlets
on your wood stove
• An intense hot smell
• A loud rumbling noise coming
from the area of your chimney
In the event that you suspect
that you might have a chimney fire, have
someone call 911 right away. Next, us-
ing a chimney fire extinguisher, which
can be purchased at most home improve-
ment stores, will help to extinguish the
fire. Follow the directions provided with
the chimney fire extinguisher.
Whether you use a chimney fire
extinguisher or not, the next step you
should take is to close the air vents and
damper on your stovepipe leading to
your chimney. Alert everyone in your
home that it might be necessary to evac-
uate and wait for fire personnel to arrive.
Safe Driving
VRFPD Seeks
Recently we had a couple of
New Public
trees come down, taking powerlines
with them, on Nehalem High-
Information Officer down
way south of Vernonia. VRFPD’s Fire
VRFPD is seeking a replacement for
their current Public Information Officer. If you
are looking for a way to volunteer some time
to the fire department without having to go
through a lot of training, this just might be the
opportunity you’ve been looking for.
For details about the position please
contact Chief Smith at (503) 429-8252.
Personal
Generator Usage
This time of year we all
worry about unexpected power
outages that can be caused by high
winds, heavy snowfall or ice storms,
or accidents that knock down power
poles and lines. Those of us who have
personal generators to supply our
homes with electricity need to follow
some important safety guidelines for
everyone in your neighborhood, and
the linemen who work for West Oregon
Electric.
Remember that when you
connect your generator to power your
home, you need to disconnect the main
circuit breaker in your breaker box.
This prevents the power that you are
supplying to your home from back
Chief responded to assess the situa-
tion, and found that the southbound
lanes of 47 were obstructed by the
downed trees.
In the process of assessing the
situation, and warning traffic in both
directions concerning the obstruction
that blocked the southbound lanes, an
impatient driver traveling south, drove
around the Fire Department’s
feeding down the power lines that lead
away from your home.
When the electrical current
back feeds down the lines away from
your home, unsuspecting linemen are
at risk of being electrocuted from your
generator.
Remember that when you
power up, “DISCONNECT” from the
grid to protect those around you. If
you have questions on the proper way
to do this, please contact someone
from West Oregon Electric for more
information, or a qualified electrician.
Now keep those Christmas
lights blinking and have a Merry
Christmas!
emergency vehicle into oncoming traf-
fic, nearly causing a head on collision.
Please, anytime you approach
an emergency vehicle with its emer-
gency lights flashing in either lane,
ODOT vehicles with yellow warning
lights, or any other construction type
vehicle stopped with flashing lights,
slow down or stop until you are direct-
ed to pass or can reasonably ascertain
that it is safe to do so. Being impatient
and inconsiderate of other drivers on
our roadways will eventually result in
In the event that you have a
chimney fire, you should have the chim-
ney inspected by a qualified chimney ex-
pert before using your chimney again.
There are numerous websites on
the internet where you can learn more
about the causes of chimney fires and
steps that you can take to minimize your
chances of having one. Here is just one
website where you can go for more in-
formation. http://www.csia.org/home-
owner-resources/the_facts_about_chim-
ney_fires.aspx.
a serious if not fatal traffic accident.
Failure to obey lane closures
and traffic control devices or traffic
control personnel could, in addition to
causing an accident, result in a Mov-
ing Violation Citation from Law En-
forcement. Lane closures are neces-
sary from time to time, and they will
be kept to a minimum as conditions
allow. Please be patient and cooper-
ate with personnel who are working to
open the lanes of traffic as quickly as
they can.
VOLUNTEERS
WANTED
VERNONIA RURAL FIRE
PROTECTION DISTRICT
VRFPD is currently accepting applications
for Volunteer Fire Fighters.
• You must have a High School Diploma or
G.E.D., a valid Oregon Driver’s License, and
be at least 18 years of age.
• Currently, you must be able to attend
weekly training on Monday nights
Calls responded to November 1-30
Fire
Emergency Medical Service
Hazardous Condition
Service Call
Good Intent
Severe Weather & Natural Disaster
Special Incident
No Emergency Found
False Alarm
Total
1
29
2
6
1
0
0
0
2
41
Here’s What We Do!
• Willing to attend the Fire Academy
VRFPD
• Live or work (employer willing to let you
respond to calls) within VRFPD’s District
555 E. Bridge St.
Vernonia, OR 97064
503-429-8252
• Applications can be picked up at the Fire
Station.
VRFPD FIRE CHIEF
Earl Dean Smith
dc4502@yahoo.com
503-709-8821 (cell)
503-429-8252 (office)
VRFPD P.I.O.
Robert Schattschneider
pio.vrfpd@gmail.com
971-225-8332 (cell)
503-429-8252 (office)
