On Tuesday night, Griffith, Leeton and Yenda Fire and Rescue NSW teams tackled yet another structure fire.

They were called to the scene at 6.40pm to Pioneer, and while no one was home at the time, the house was severely damaged by the flames.

FRNSW Acting Inspector Glen Whitehead said there had been several house fires in the past week.

"In Griffith alone, there have been five with Griffith, Yenda and Leeton brigades attending," he said.

"These house fires, on average, took about one hour to extinguish.

There have also been house fires in Narrandera, one in Lake Cargelligo and one in Wentworth, and all of these contributed to chimney fires [chimney flues] with damage to the roofs and rooms."

Inspector Whitehead said that fortunately, there had been no deaths or injuries, but there has been considerable damage to all premises.

He said the best way to stay out of harm this winter is to take measures to prevent a fire from occurring in the first instance.

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Inspector Whitehead said it was vitally important for people to have a working smoke alarm in their home and test it regularly.

"A fire can take hold in just three minutes, filling your home with deadly smoke," he said.

"Don't become a statistic - stay out of harm and have a working smoke alarm this winter."

Inspector Whitehead said firefighters of the Riverina are committed to reducing the risk of home fires but encouraged people to take some simple steps.

These include keeping everything a metre away from the heater or fireplace, not overloading power boards, keep looking when cooking, not using outdoor heating and cooking equipment, checking electric blankets for frayed cords and other damage and having an escape plan in place.

For more information about home fire safety visits, please contact your nearest or closest Fire and Rescue New South Wales Station or visit www.fire.nsw.gov.au/winter.

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