The Chimney Police!

"Open up! Chimney Police!  Step back from the fireplace, sir, and put the poker down.  We don't want any trouble."

The Chimney Police

OK, not really, but Trondheim, and many communities in Norway have official Chimney-Sweep/Inspectors.    They are actually employed by the city's "The Chimney Sweep Department"  (Feiervesenet.  Feier means chimney sweep and vesen means department.  The et at the end is "the").  It makes sense.  Most houses here are wood-framed and have woodstoves or fireplaces or both which are burned daily throughout the late fall, winter and early spring.  The chimney sweeps clean the chimneys and inspect for fire-safety.

We received notice that Feiervesenet would inspect and clean here this week.  They would come sometime between Monday 8 a.m. and Wednesday.  If we were home when they came, they would also remove the soot from our woodstoves (we have two) and evaluate our stoves for efficiency and safety.  It is free (as a lunch!). 

We had one annoying little problem.  At one time, the homeowners association provided a steel ladder for each building (our building, as most in our neighborhood has 4 attached houses).  Over time, these ladders have disappeared.  So now, our building does not have a ladder.  Feiervesenet requires the homeowner to provide a ladder.  This would never happen in California -- the sweeps would not trust the ladder provided by the homeowner, would they?  Anyway, we planned on borrowing one of the other building's ladders, but, of course, we would have to wait until after that building's chimneys had been swept.  These ladders are heavy and cannot be moved or erected safely by one guy.

So Monday I stayed at home.  The sweeps got here around 12 Noon.  Not surprisingly.  They were dressed just like the photo I posted above.  Right out of Mary Poppins!  Chim-chim-a-nee, chim-chim-a-nee, chim-chim-cha-ree.  I went up to one of them (a  young woman) and explained the situation.  No problem, after they were done with the first building, I could move the ladder.  When?  Maybe today.  OK, but I'll need help to move it.  Just knock on my door when you're ready to do our building. 

They did the first building, then another one, then they left.  Hmm.  Monday night, Tove and I asked our neighbors (mother and teen-aged son) to help us move the ladder.  It took four of us.  The ladder is heavy and unwieldy. 

Tuesday came and went.  No sign of sweeper activity.  Wednesday morning I was home.  I was hopeful that I would be home when the sweepers did their work, so that they could remove the soot from our stoves.  No such luck.  I had a haircut appointment at 11:00 a.m.  When do you suppose they arrived?  11:00 a.m.  Our chimney is clean, but the soot is now our responsibility to remove.