A recipe for disaster: NRMA Insurance warns of cooking fire risk this winter

Top tips to reduce fire risk at home

NRMA Insurance encourages households to take these simple steps:

1. Cooking – never leave the room while cooking and remember to keep flammable items well away from the cooking area.
2. Electric blankets – check for hotspots in your blanket before you use it and always turn it off before going to sleep.
3. Heaters – follow the heater-metre rule, ensuring at least a metre of clear space surrounding heaters while in use and never dry anything on top of heaters.
4. Indoor fires – have your fireplace cleaned before you light the first fire of the season, always use a spark guard when the fire is lit, and keep matches and lighters out of reach of children.
5. Clothes dryers – clean the lint filter before every use to avoid lint build-up, ensure the dryer isn’t overloaded, and use the full cycle including the cool down.
6. Batteries and chargers – don’t leave batteries or devices unattended when on charge and disconnect the device once fully charged.
7. Multi-plugs – don’t overload a multi plug. Check that chargers and cords aren’t damaged, and make sure they aren’t coiled, or underneath carpet or bedding.
8. Smoke Alarms – test your smoke alarms regularly to ensure they’re in good working order- they’re the first thing that’s going to let you know that there’s a fire.
9. Fire extinguishers and fire blankets – keep a fire extinguisher and fire blanket handy and make sure you know how to use them.
10. Check your insurance cover – review your insurance policy to ensure your home and belongings are adequately covered for fire damage.

*Notes:

NRMA Insurance – top causes of cooking-related fires³:

1. Cooking mishaps / unattended cooking
2. Electrical/appliance fault
3. Oil spills/explosion
4. Open flame/ BBQ

Footnotes:

1. NRMA Insurance claim data June-August 2024 and 2025
2. NRMA Insurance claim data June -August 2025
3. NRMA Insurance claim data June -August 2025