The Dearing Fire Department is reminding anyone with a fireplace to make sure it's cleaned and inspected before winter.

On Sunday just before 8 p.m., Dearing firefighters were dispatched to a home south of Dearing to investigate a hot chimney wall. The fireplace had not been used for several days. Firefighters used a thermal imaging camera to find the hottest spots on the chimney and used chains down the chimney to break up any buildup. They eventually had to remove the insert and sprayed water from the top and bottom to put out the burning buildup inside the chimney.

Photo: Dearing Fire Department