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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2018)
8 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2018 Fireplace from 1A The time it takes for this to occur can vary. There is no set rule on how long a fire like this can get out of hand, but the longer it takes, the more dangerous it can become. As fire is swirling out of a fireplace, sometimes a com- pletely different danger is tak- ing place, particularly for tra- ditional brick and mortar chimneys. The problem isn’t with the brick, but with the mortar between it. “Over time, that grout begins to fail and will start to crack,” said Miller. “It will cause air infiltration or allow the fire to escape.” As fire begins to pour out of the cracks in the mortar, it can kindle dry wood in an attic space or roof. An already har- rowing fireplace fire can quickly turn into a full-fledged inferno. “When you’re inside your house you see pretty brick and you say, ‘Hey, I need to fix that real quick.’” Miller said. “So, you get a tube of grout and put it in there, and it looks all pret- ty. But a lot of times what peo- ple forget is to fix the portion inside their attic or on their roof.” Metal flues typically don’t have the same problems as mortar chimneys — they’re usually double or triple walled with airspace and insulation barriers — but they do collect creosote, the major cause of chimney fires. “Creosote is the residue that is unburnt material that goes out the flue when you’re actu- ally burning firewood in your fireplace,” Miller explained. “That’s the build up, the tar, that sticks to the walls.” There are multiple causes of creosote. A flue with a cooler temperature will cause smoke to condense, causing creosote to form on the inner walls. Metal chimneys, cooled by outside weather, are particular- ly vulnerable to cooler temper- atures and creosote buildup. For masonry chimneys, the problem can be size. If it’s too large, the smoke can hang around in the flue, causing more buildup. For the fireplace itself, if the doors are closed too tightly when a fire is lit or the chim- ney dampers are not wide enough, thus stifling air flow, can create more smoke and creosote. Then there’s what people actually burn in their fireplace. “It’s not as prevalent in today’s time, but people used to do a lot of garbage burning in their fireplaces,” Miller said. “If you’re burning trash, that can cause more buildup in your fireplace than it would be the normal, precut firewood. If you’re burning a lot of papers and cardboard in there, that can also create a lot more cre- osote.” Burning cardboard and paper can also work as a per- fect igniter for creosote. “If you’ve ever burnt paper before, you see this big flake of brown burning ember that goes up the flue and could stick to the inside,” Miller said. “It can ignite quicker than the actual creosote. And then, once that’s ignited, the creosote is ignited.” Smoke caused by wet wood can also be particularly dan- gerous. “You want to use really dry firewood, precut, that is the appropriate size of the fire- place you have,” Miller said. Along with burning proper materials, Miller stressed the importance of containing the fire in the fireplace properly. “Just make sure you have a good screen or doors on your fireplace, or a little chain that helps keeps the embers from popping out when wood pops. If you’ve ever had a fire, you know wood pops and blows chunks out of it that are on fire. It could fall on your car- pet, wood flooring or furniture nearby and start a fire.” Miller also said avoid put- ting anything combustible next to a fireplace, as “Fireplaces and wood burning stoves put off quite a bit of heat.” But one of the most impor- tant keys to safety, and the overall long-term health of a fireplace, is keeping chimneys and flues clean. While stores do sell logs that are designed to break apart creosote, Miller stated that they are not a substitute for having a professional come out to clean the actual flue, and to inspect the mortar for cracks and other structural issues the chimney may have. These can be chimney sweeps and clean- ers, as well as some heating and air conditioning compa- nies. “I always recommend hav- ing them checked before the season starts for the winter,” Miller said. “August to September is always a really good time to have that done. Then you know going into the burn season that everything’s been inspected and cleaned up, and you’re ready for the new year.” Surfside Restaurant Valentines Week RESERVATIONS: 541-997-8263 City Hall SERVED ALL WEEKEND! FEB 14-20 from 1A Henry continued, “We have a goal of becoming Oregon’s Premier Coastal Community, and with our ReVision Florence Streetscaping Project, it just made sense to make this tie in and make it more beautiful.” He thanked the staff, coun- cil and community for their work and support of the proj- ect. “I wasn’t in favor of spend- ing quite so much money on this, but I think at the end of the day, we’re all going to be proud of it,” Henry added. “It will be something we can look up to and say, ‘We are the Premier Coastal Community.’” According to City Project Manager Megan Messmer, asbestos abatement inside the dated City Hall structure is mostly complete in the base- ment and first-floor levels. WL Thomas, of Albany, Ore., performed the abatement and will finish the process before construction begins. “It’s kind of sad to see the building deconstructed,” Messmer said. “Even though I’ve only been here five years, this is my second home. We look forward to seeing the new building and what it brings, as well as how it highlights what we’re doing in the rest of the community.” Reynolds said Florence Public Works crews were ready to “move some dirt” at the site, including relocating a TEASERS 6 Hand Breaded Coconut Shrimp MAINS LOVE ME TENDER: These Beef Tenders will melt hearts when topped with our house-made chocolate chipotle demi glaze A MEAL TO REMEMBER: A Duo of 4 stinging honey prawns and an 8oz garlic-herb marinated flat iron steak. PHOTOS BY CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS Florence City Council — (from left) Joshua Greene, Susy Lacer, Mayor Joe Henry, Woody Woodbury and Ron Preisler — next meet on Monday, Feb. 5, when Woodbury takes his oath of office at the Florence Events Center at 5:30 p.m. FlorVan Rhododendron that was planted outside of City Hall during the city’s centen- nial celebrations in 1993. Volunteers from the Florence Habitat for Humanity ReStore spent the day on Jan. 20 removing items from City Hall that can be used in their project or sold in the ReStore. These recycled materials included vanities, sinks, cupboards, signage, door and window framing, HVAC vent covers and many other items. As construction proceeds, other items that can be sal- vaged will be donated, Messmer said. She added that the city is looking at ways to utilize the “retro” metal letters that cur- rently spell out “City of Florence — City Hall” on the front of the gray stone façade in the remodel, possibly in an inside location. “We are definitely excited to move back into this build- ing and work out of it to serve our community with excellent customer service,” Reynolds said. According to the City Hall Remodel and Expan- sion project page, ci.flo- rence.or.us/citymanager/city- hall-remodel-expansion, the project should continue FRAA ART CENTER 120 Maple Street Phone: 541-997-4435 Hours Open: Wed-Fri noon-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun. noon-5pm Classes, Workshops & Events Tru, the Painting Dog - One Dog Show Saturday, February 10, 2-5 pm Big Wave Poetry 1st Tuesday Open Mic Tru (with owner Cheryl Pinnock) will show her art and we will serve goodies made by the Siuslaw High School Culinary Team with truffles found by Tru. February 6th at 6:30 pm. Admission is free and refreshments will be available. NEW! Beginning Felting with Ginny Kliever Saturday, February 17th, 1:30-4:30 pm Learn the art of felting making a coin purse. Bring a shank button; other material provided. Pre-registration req’d at FRAA. Questions: 541-521-3513 NEW! Crochet Workshop with Eleanor Ross Sunday, February 25th, 1-4 pm Crochet-Along to make a small tote or potholder. Learn how to pick the right yarn and basic crochet terms. All materials provided. Pre-registration req’d at FRAA. Questions: 541-997-4435 Whimsical Hand Building Ceramics w/ Alissa Clark Wednesdays, 3-5 pm & Thursdays, 6-8 pm Open Lab Ceramics on Saturdays Drop in, work at own pace. Sat 12-5 pm All ceramics classes held at Alissa’s Studio. 180 Laurel Street. Writers on the River - Creative Writing Workshop with Catherine Rourke “ Love Gone Wrong” Original Poem, Prose, Song Contest February 16th, sign-up at 6 pm. Prizes will be awarded. Tickets at the door - $10. Questions: bigwavepoetry@gmail.com Writers on the River - Creative Writing Workshop with Catherine Rourke Sat., February 17, 10 am - 12 noon All writing levels and genres, Contact: CJReditor@gmail.com , 541-708-2120 Painting with John Leasure Saturdays 9 am - 12 pm Contact: jnleasure@hotmail.com or 541-991-2754 for details and fees. FRAA March Display in the Chamber of Commerce Bring your 2D art (wired to hang) to the Chamber on Thursday, March 1st, from 10 am - 12 noon. We can also take a few larger 3D pieces. For more information about classes, visit fraaoregon.org. To register for these classes, please call or visit FRAA at our art center on Maple Street. throughout 2018. SWEETEN EM UP Deep Red Velvet cake Rustic Apple Galette ala mode
