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WILMINGTON — Most people have not fired up their chimneys yet, but with cooler weather on the way, chimney sweep Ron Segars said it is time to do a check up.

Experts say heating sources like fireplaces and wood stoves are the second leading cause of home fires each year.

"It's important to do it now because people want to use it for the holidays," said Segars. “Folks want to light them up and have these parties and they are not thinking about the safety issues. They just want the ambiance."

Chimney fires are a high percentage of those fires so clearing creosote buildup, or repairing cracks is critical.

"They assume no maintenance is needed so they will put it off so they don't call until they have a problem and sometimes it's too late," said Segars.

Buildup from unseasoned wood can accumulate in the chimney and cause major problems.

"Fire gets in there, you have cracks in the liner, and that liner over time will get bigger and bigger and then that is when a spark or the super heated gases will get in there and cause a fire," said Battalion Chief David Hines of the Wilmington Fire Deptartment.

The fire department said they respond to more heating fires during the winter months due to chimneys that have not been properly maintained. They say now during the pre-heating season is the best time to get your chimney professionally checked.

Segars, President of Ron's Fireside Shop,  said a chimney inspection and cleaning can cost around $300 and take one to three hours to complete.