Coals emptied outside on Saturday caused mulch to catch alight, Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) reported.

The blaze spread to a woodpile.

Crews from Dubbo Fire Station put out the blaze but some damage was done.

“They lost the wood pile, it was good wood,” FRNSW station officer Mark Weir said.

The fire stemming from a winter activity was not an isolated occurrence.

Mr Weir reported of incidents of still-hot ashes being put into plastic garbage bins.

“The bin is full of air, it’s plastic, it’s like a big candle,” he said.

“[The fire] gets going hard.”

Mr Weir said people should put ashes into something like a galvanised bucket - not plastic - hose them down and then dispose of the ashes as they wished.

“People should also consider the location of their woodpile and only keep a small amount of wood needed for the night at the house,” Mr Weir said.

FRNSW advises that winter is the worst time of year for fires in the home.

In the coldest season, FRNSW attends an average of 1230 house fires which result in an average of 576 injuries.

Mr Weir urged people to change their behaviours and improve the statistics.

“For winter, the first thing is never leave electric blankets on - warm up the bed and then turn them off,” he said.

“Another important one - if you have a heater, you have to keep any flammables one metre away from the heater - for example your washing.

“Never overload your powerboards.

“And a really good one is with your clothes dryer - always clean the lint filter before or after each use and never leave it on when you’re not at home.”

Half of all home fires start in the kitchen, with the majority of those caused by unattended cooking, FRNSW reports.

Mr Weir said it was vital people would “keep looking when cooking”, the message of a major statewide campaign, and working smoke alarms were compulsory.