Why Us?
Flue Season was started in 1977 by Greg Luft, a volunteer fire-fighter at the time in French Gulch. The '70's oil crisis had ressurected wood burning. The Mother Earth News advertised "Be a Chimney Sweep - Make $40 an Hour!" The chimney sweep trade returned to life from its roots in old world Europe.
In 1984 Bob Ferrari began sweeping chimneys part time - landscaping in the Spring and Summer and chimneys in the Fall and Winter. In 1985 he decided to go full time into the chimney business. His wife Marina ran the office.
In 1986 he bought Flue Season from the retiring Greg Luft. Ferrari expanded the business bringing installation and repair expertise to the established and well respected sweep company. He earned his contractors license for installs and repairs, passed the WHERF (Wood Heat Energy and Research Foundation) certification exam, and the, then, new National Chimney Sweep certified sweep exam which is now the nationally recognized Chimney Safety Institue of America (CSIA.org) Certified Chimney Sweep certification. He attended the "Solid Flue" school for historic chimney restoration, passing their exam in 1988.
Italy, 2007
Bob served on the Shasta County Air Quality task force for several years in the early 1990s working on the clean air ordinance relating to solid fuel burning.
Bob has been involved with youth coaching soccer and training training coaches (Bob has a National "C" coach license), and in outdoor programs as a wilderness guide. In 1999 he co-led seven young men on a thirty day trip in Russia and has brought students on several service trips in subsequent years to the formerly soviet Republic of Georgia, and Greece. He has traveled to or led trips in Mexico, Russia and Georgia, four times, swept flues in Scotland, wandered in Serbia, Greece, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Europe, and repaired a stove in Russia. Climbing trips have included Mt. Ararrat in Turkey, Pik Lenin in Kyrgyzstan, the Alps in Italy and Switzerland, and Pik Kazbek in Georgia, as well as numerous climbs in the Sierras and our own backyard - Mount Shasta. In June 2007, he completed one of his life-long dreams to climb and reach the summit of Denali (Mt. McKinley) in Alaska with two friends.
Since 1985 Flue Season has worked on thousands of chimneys - cleaning, repairing, installing, and as fire investigators. We have watched children grow up as we returned to service the flue year after year and shared in a small way the other joys and sorrows of life with our faithful customers.
Bob and Marina's own three children have grown up over that period, gone to college, married and have blessed them with nine wonderful grandchildren. Their oldest son, Hosh, works full time with them.
