Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Russian consulate in San Francisco on Friday, a day after President Donald Trump ordered the closure.

Russia was ordered to close the consulate and two diplomatic annexes in New York and Washington until Saturday.

The San Francisco Fire Department sent a team to investigate but was ultimately turned away by consulate staff.

An Associated Press reporter heard people coming out of the consulate telling firefighters that everything was OK and that the smoke was due to “unidentified items” being burned in a fireplace.

Mindy Talamadge, a fire department spokeswoman, confirmed to the AP that firefighters were dispatched to the consulate and found the smoke was coming from the chimney.

Talamadge also noted that it was a hot day in the city, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees at lunchtime, and she wasn't sure what might have burned there.

“It wasn’t unintentional. They burned something in their fireplace,” Talamadge told the AP.

Some on social media speculated that consulate staff burned documents.

A fire truck showed up at the Russian consulate in San Francisco, where documents or other items were apparently burned https://t.co/qhQDZWll3F

— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) September 1, 2017

The Trump administration's decision to order Russia to close its consulate, the oldest in the United States, comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow.

In late July, Congress voted overwhelmingly to impose new sanctions on Russia over its interference in the 2016 election. Trump eventually agreed, albeit somewhat reluctantly, to sign the legislation imposing the sanctions.

Moscow responded by ordering the expulsion of 755 US diplomats. Trump controversially thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for doing so, but later claimed he was being sarcastic.

The decision to close the consulate and two diplomatic annexes was made directly by the president, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters.

In a statement about the move, the US State Department said: “The United States hopes that, having complied with the Russian Federation's desire for parity, we can avoid further retaliation from both sides and move forward to achieve the stated goal of both sides .” of our Presidents: improved relations between our two countries and increased cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The United States stands ready to take further action if necessary and warranted.

While speaking to students in Moscow on Friday about these latest developments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would “respond harshly to things that harm us.”

Unusual knowledge

Newsweek strives to challenge conventional wisdom and find connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek strives to challenge conventional wisdom and find connections in the search for common ground.

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San Francisco Public Library’s toilets have been vandalized, forcing an emergency closure and damaging multiple floors of the facility.

A spokesperson for the library said a plumbing failure affected three levels of the Main Branch.

Foreign objects were dumped into the library’s toilets on the fourth floor Friday, affecting the library on Saturday.

“The issue was caused by an individual flushing foreign objects into a toilet, which resulted in an overflow,” the spokesperson said. “Fortunately, our facilities crew, with support from public works, was quick to respond and remediated the issue, which allowed us to reopen at noon on Saturday, [after] only a two-hour delay.”

The overflow occurred on the third floor and caused damage to all of the floors below, the former employee said. 

Urban Alchemy workers monitor San Francisco Public Library’s Main Branch on Aug. 26, 2022. | Camille Cohen/The Standard

The library and Department of Public Works don’t yet know the costs associated with the toilet emergencies. Public Works was contacted for clarification on what the objects were and more information.

The library has had three prior incidents of foreign object vandalism into the toilets—in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

And it’s not the first time Downtown San Francisco has had toilet trouble, in November last year, a Whole Foods store off Market Street locked down its restrooms after syringes and drug pipes were found inside.

And a luxury apartment building saw more than just its toilet overflow when its infrastructure was allegedly vandalized by a resident in October 2021.

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A large January sewage spill at San Francisco’s main public library that was caused by someone who flushed “foreign objects” down a fourth-floor toilet led to $550,000 in damages.

The spill happened Jan. 20, when a sewer overflow that started on the fourth floor of the Larkin Street library across from Civic Center Plaza spread to the stories below, affecting all three of the first floors in the building’s northwest corner. 

Library staff said the spill contaminated just about everything in the spaces it spread to, with ceilings, ductwork, painted surfaces, insulation, cubicles and floor coverings all being damaged. The library’s Talking Books and Braille Center, Audio-Visual Room and Genre Room were all impacted by the spill, according to the city. 

Jaime Wong, a San Francisco Public Library spokesperson, could not say for sure exactly what kind of “foreign objects” clogged the toilet in question and led to the spill. 

“It might have been some fabric,” Wong said. “It got pretty mangled.”

Wong said toilet blockages in the library have caused spills before, but this appeared to be the first time that one on the fourth floor had caused such extensive damage.

The overwhelming majority of the bill will be paid by insurers, according to city officials. San Francisco is only on the hook for a $10,000 deductible that will be paid from its Library Preservation Fund. 

Cleanup of the spill began the day it happened and was completed Feb. 9, according to the city. Repair work started several days later and most of it has been completed, though some damaged flooring and cubicles still need to be replaced. The city hired a contractor, Belfor Property Restoration, to handle the cleanup and repairs.

The Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee on Wednesday approved the repairs, which required an emergency declaration from the Public Works director. The full board is likely to sign off on the matter next week.

Reach J.D. Morris: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @thejdmorris

The post ‘Random objects’ flushed down SFPL essential library rest room triggered harm appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The San Francisco Public Library restrooms were vandalized, forcing an emergency closure and damaging several floors of the facility.

A library spokesman said plumbing damage affected three levels of the main office.

Foreign objects were thrown into the library’s fourth-floor toilets on Friday, affecting the library on Saturday.

“The problem was caused by a person flushing foreign objects into a toilet, which caused an overflow,” the spokesman said. “Fortunately, our team, with public works support, responded quickly and rectified the issue, allowing us to reopen on Saturday midday. [after] just two hours late.”

The spill happened on the third floor and caused damage to all floors below, the former employee said.

Urban Alchemy employees monitor the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library on August 26, 2022. | Camille Cohen/The Standard

The cost of toilet emergencies is not yet known to the library and building authority. Public Works was contacted to clarify which objects were involved and for more information.

The library has had three incidents of foreign object vandalism in the toilets – in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

And it’s not the first time downtown San Francisco has had toilet problems. In November last year, a Whole Foods store near Market Street closed its toilets after syringes and drug tubes were found inside.

And a luxury apartment building saw more than its toilets overflow when its infrastructure was allegedly destroyed by a resident in October 2021.

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