Last year there were 4070 house fires across the state, causing 17 deaths. Four people died from house fires in December alone.

Fire & Rescue NSW's  Assistant Commissioner Mark Whybro said that fires in people's homes are a bigger threat to life and property than bushfires. On average, the fatality rate of home fires is double that of bushfires in NSW.

"It's the major disaster against many minor tragedies, but the little disasters add up," he said.

There was a further 150 home fires and five deaths on 2014. The most common cause of the fires was unattended cooking, responsible for almost half of all home fires, followed by electrical malfunctions. Such malfunctions include the Samsung washing machine fires,  like that which claimed the home of Newcastle family the Hudsons. There have been 42 fires caused by the recalled washing machines since April 2013.

Mr Whybro believes the increase in fires was, in part, weather related.

"Last year was a lot colder than winter in 2014, which was mild," he said. "It means more people were indoors, there more clothes in dryers and more heating being used."

Winter also brought a spike in fatalities and injuries from carbon monoxide poisoning, causing three further deaths across the state.

"There is a perception that cooking and heating indoors with outdoor cookers is an efficient way to save money," Mr Whybro said. "It's a silent killer because heat beads and coal emit carbon monoxide which slowly deprives you of oxygen."

NSW Fire & Rescue's research found that socioeconomically disadvantaged people were at greater risk of death and injury in house fires.

"The working poor, people who live in public housing and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds living in outer suburbs are the major indicator groups," he said.

For people in these categories, the risk of injury in a home fire are more than twice as high as suburban professionals or the rural middle class.

"Elderly, single men who are living alone are most at risk," Whybro said.

Tessa Boyd-Caine, the deputy chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Services, was not surprised by NSW Fire's findings.

"Given that a high number of people reliant on low incomes are trapped in the rental market, little have the capacity to change the utilities around them including electrical equipment and wiring even if they could afford to," she said.

"The cost of utilities is a pressure that people on a low income have trouble meeting and often don't have access to efficient forms of heating. People using outdoor heating inside or their oven as defacto heating is something community organisations hear about from clients."

Superintendent Mick Ollerenshaw, who manages NSW Fire & Rescue Community Engagement unit, says risk of fatality in a home fire comes down to two things.

"It largely depends on the health of the resident and whether the house and its equipment is in suitable maintenance," he said.

NSW Fire & Rescue services are now using marketing programs that map incident and demographic data to target educational messages about home fires.

"Stations list and profile every residency in their area to create a mosaic profile. We know where certain people get their information and that's where we place our messages," said Mr  Whybro.

"For example, we know that six of our 10 high-risk groups visit RSLs. So now we use RSLs to spread information and engage with the community, and hopefully it results in making the community safer."

Last July, NSW Fire & Rescue services ran a demonstration kitchen fire in the carpark of Penrith RSL.

"Many people I spoke to after the demonstration just couldn't believe how fast a fire can get out of control," said Penrith RSL's communication coordinator Kristy McCornville.

"It came a week after [the residents] were  pulled out of their house across the road unconscious due to an outdoor heater they put inside. So timing wise it was important to build up fire awareness."

NSW Fire & Rescue estimates that once a fire has ignited in a home you have three minutes to escape safely, making smoke detectors paramount.

"A room can be engulfed by flames very quickly and burning furnishings emit poisonous gas," said Mr Whybro.

"If you are experiencing a home fire get out, stay out and call triple zero."

Five most common causes of home fires

1: "Unattended"/Abandoned: when something as been left alone, usually cooking.

2: Electrical Failure

3: Falling Asleep

4: Overheating

5: Part/Mechanical failure.

Samsung recall

Samsung urges consumers who may be impacted by the recall to visit www.samsung.com/au/washingmachinerecall or call 1800 239 655. The following models are impacted:

SW75V9WIP/XSA
SW65V9WIP/XSA
SW70SPWIP/XSA
SW80SPWIP/XSA
WA85GWGIP/XSA
WA85GWWIP/XSA