You can obtain a chimney inspection alone by calling your fire department.

A chimney inspection alone usually can be made by your local Fire Department.

The second step requires just a phone call: regular chimney inspections by a certified sweep.

If a chimney inspection reveals flue damage, you'll still have plenty of time to make repairs.

Does the fire brigade do chimney inspections?

"We've done about 50,000 chimney inspections in 17 years, and the vast majority of these fireplaces are either unused or barely used.

The organization builds awareness of the need for annual chimney inspections and service by a qualified chimney professional.

Unlike the licensed inspectors who evaluate a home before purchase, most chimney inspections are performed by people who include repair work as a major part of their business.

George Infantino, the owner of Chimney Tech, a chimney inspection and cleaning company based in Island Park, N.Y., agreed.

And while it is possible to inspect the interior of a chimney using high-powered lights and mirrors, the most accurate chimney inspection is obtained using a video camera.

In a unique move SURE FIRE have created a centre which includes displays of solid fuel appliances, chimney and relining products, as well as chimney inspection and testing equipment.

Chimney inspection companies that use Chim-Scan system, Mr. Urban said, typically make a videotape of the inspection so that the homeowner can see first-hand the condition of the interior of the chimney.

"The camera gives you the ability to go down inside the flue and see things you'd never be able to see with lights and mirrors," said Tom Urban, the owner of Estoban Corporation, a Fairfield, Iowa, company that manufactures and markets Chim-Scan, a video system used by chimney inspection companies across the country.