Heater warning: Is your home fire safe this winter?

That's the message from fire chiefs around the country with recent house fires highlighting the importance of fire safety around the home.

According to Fire and Rescue NSW, the cooler months see a 10 per cent increase in the number of home fires, with more fires in bedrooms and loungerooms due to heaters, electric blankets.

Fire and Rescue NSW Deputy Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said winter is the time when we see an spike in residential house fire related fatalities.

"We are very concerned with the large number of fires we have seen across NSW, so we urge people to stay safe and aware of any risk of fire while they are at home," he said.

"Don't put your family at risk this winter, check that all your appliances are switched off and ensure that open fires have been fully extinguished."

Tasmania Fire Service responds to more than 350 house fires each year. In May, crews from Franklin and Huonville were called to a fire to find a two-bedroom home engulfed in flames and collapsed.

Clothing and other flammable items had been left too close to a wood heater and caught alight. A mother and young child who lived at the property were not home when the fire started.

"As we draw closer to winter and Tasmanians turn to heating our homes, it is vital for the community to remember that flammable items must never be placed any closer than two metres from any heat source, including wood heaters, radiant heaters and open fireplaces," said Regional Fire Investigator, station officer Adam Doran.

Also in May, a fire that destroyed a two-bedroom brick cottage on the Lyell Highway at Hayes was caused by a build-up of bird's nests in a wall cavity near a wood heater flue.

Crews from New Norfolk and Magra were called to the fire to find the roofspace fully engulfed in flames.The owners of the property were alerted to the fire by their dogs barking and were able to escape unharmed before calling triple zero.

"At this time of year, TFS encourages property owners to contract professionals to conduct maintenance on their chimneys and flues, and this includes checking the area under the eaves and in the roofspace to ensure there is nothing flammable that can catch alight," officer Doran said.

The fire service's other key safety message is that only working smoke alarms save lives.

"Smoke alarms are your best chance of escaping a house fire alive," it said.

"Smoke alarms should be installed in every sleeping area, hallways and the tops of stairs. Even if the grandchildren stay in a spare bedroom a couple of time a year, that room should still have a smoke alarm."

At the beginning of May, the service responded to a house fire in the early hours of a Saturday morning at Eaglehawk Neck.

Volunteer crews arrived to find the building fully engulfed. Fortunately, the residents had been alerted by a working smoke alarm, evacuated their home safely and called triple zero.

Other fire safety tips include using fire screens at all times with open fires, not sitting too close to heaters, maintaining heaters according to the manufacturer's instructions, and being careful when disposing of ashes from the hearth or wood heater.

FRNSW provides the following tips for fire safety in the home:

FRNSW has launched its Get Ready For Winter checklist. For more information on home fire safety click HERE

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