Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott today urged householders to ‘keep looking when cooking’ after it was revealed almost 50 per cent of house fires start in the kitchen.

Mr Elliott joined Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Brown, NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) Assistant Commissioner Jason Heffernan and FRNSW’s Principal Partner GIO, to launch the annual Winter Fire Safety campaign at the CSIRO Fire Sciences Laboratories in North Ryde.

Firefighters respond to about 1,230 house fires between June and September each year – an average of 102 a week – and almost half of those start in the kitchen.

“It can take just three minutes for a kitchen fire to take hold but only seconds to prevent one,” Mr Elliott said.

New data from GIO reveals the average insurance claim after a house fire in NSW is $51,000.

FRNSW Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Brown said nine people have died in house fires in NSW since January this year and urged householders remain vigilant.

“People need to be attentive in the kitchen and throughout their home this winter,” he said.

NSW RFS Assistant Commissioner Jason Heffernan said even small fires can have a devastating emotional, financial and physical impact.

To reduce the risk of a home fire during winter, keep looking when cooking, ensure items  are kept at least one metre from heaters, do not overload power points, and don’t leave open flame materials, such as cigarettes and candles, unattended.