A FIRE in a South Bucks village has prompted firefighters to warn of the dangers of clogged chimneys as temperatures plunge this winter.

Firefighters from Marlow used chimney gear and a water backpack to douse the flames when a fire in a chimney in Medmenham damaged wooden beams in the fireplace on Wednesday night.

As now part of the national Fire Kills campaign, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service is urging householders to ensure their chimneys are safe, and to have them swept by a registered chimney sweep.

Neil Boustred, head of Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service’s community safety team, said: “With the colder part of the year looming, people will begin to start using open fires and their chimneys again.

“All chimneys and flue-ways should be cleaned and checked during the summer months to ensure they’re free from debris and in full working order before the heating season.

“A blocked or defective chimney can cause carbon monoxide poisoning as well as a fire.

“Make sure your chimney is swept regularly, depending upon what fuel you burn, and that you have working smoke alarms in your home and test them once a week.”

Statistics show that there are about 7,000 chimney fires a year in England.

There were 107 chimney fires in Buckinghamshire between April 1 2013 and March 31 2014 - the same as the average of the previous four years.

To find a registered chimney sweep near you, visit nacs.org.uk