Mission Statement

The OREGON CHIMNEY SWEEPS ASSOCIATION, Inc., a non-profit organization, was formed in the fall of 1978 for the following purposes:

1. To promote the interest of all persons in preserving life, limb and property from loss due to flue fires, other solid fuel related fires, and other hazards associated with residential heating.
2. To protect, preserve and enjoy the history of our forefather chimney sweeps.
3. To provide and promote a standard of excellence by which all Oregon Chimney Sweeps and its membership sweeps may be judged.
4. To promote fire safety in the home.
5. To establish and maintain a liaison with the State Fire Marshal’s office and with the State Building Code Inspector’s Office.
6. To conduct advertising of an educational nature.
7. To discourage the fixing of prices or territorial limits.

A Chimney Sweep attired in black clothes and top hat may bring to mind the happy-go-lucky Mary Poppins characters. He is much more than that. He is a civic-minded small businessman. His main concerns are Fire Safety and Energy Conservation within his community.

When a Chimney Sweep cleans a chimney, he uses brushes to remove all the build-up of soot and creosote from the flue system. These deposits of soot and creosote are responsible for chimney fire damage that totaled an estimated $4.7 million in Oregon during 1986. This fact is provided by the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Chimney Sweeps are helping reduce that figure by confronting the causes; dirty chimneys, improper wood heater installations AND unsafe chimney conditions. The Chimney Sweep is part of the energy conservation movement. He is involved directly because he knows that a clean oil flue allows the furnace to burn hotter and cleaner, using less oil and saving fuel dollars.

Chimney Sweeps also encourage the use of wood for heating fuel because it is a “renewable resource.” Wood is an efficient and economical energy source with an increasingly important role to play in the future of the Northwest United States.

Member Sweeps of the OREGON CHIMNEY SWEEPS ASSOCIATION, Inc. are professionals. You can look to member sweeps for competent assistance in keeping your chimney flues clean and answering related questions. Whether you are enjoying a log fire in the evening or heating your whole home with a wood heat stove, this can mean peace of mind for you and your family.

Tribute to OCSA’s founding father, Grant Darrow