When Tiffany's son Cayden was 12-months-old in June 2019 he walked into an open fireplace, captivated by the flames. The youngster suffered serious burns to his hands, arms and face and spent three months recovering in and out of the Burns Unit of The Children's Hospital at Westmead.

"Cayden, as a toddler, was curious about the 'pretty' flames and it only took a second for him to walk into the fireplace," Ms Rapley-Adams said.

"Please child-proof your fireplaces and if you haven't already done so, educate your kids about the dangers of fire."

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and the NSW Rural Fire Service launched their annual Winter Fire Safety campaign last week.

FRNSW has attended 1226 home fires since the beginning of 2022. There were 3502 home fires in 2021. Last winter there were 953 residential fires, including 359 kitchen fires (which accounted for 38 per cent of winter fires).

FRNSW Commissioner Paul Baxter urged people to have a home fire escape plan so children know what to do if a fire breaks out.

"It's also important to fireproof your home as much as possible by having working smoke alarms," Commissioner Baxter 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. It is vitally important for people to have a working smoke alarm in their home and to test it regularly."

NSW Rural Fire Service Assistant Commissioner Ben Millington said there were steps residents could take to prevent a fire from breaking out in their home including keeping flammable objects a 'metre from the heater,' not leaving cooking unattended and not using outdoor heating or cooking equipment inside.

Cayden now dreams of becoming a firefighter to protect others and was presented with his own junior FRNSW uniform alongside 188 new firefighters who joined the ranks of FRNSW at the Emergency Services Academy at Orchard Hills in Sydney's west.

Of the graduates, 33 will be permanent while 155 will be on-call, or part-time, firefighters. FRNSW are still looking for more on-call personnel, particularly in the state's regional areas.

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"It was wonderful to be able to help Cayden with his dream of becoming a firefighter by giving him his very own uniform," Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said.

"Every winter we see a spike in house fires which could have tragic and even fatal consequences.

"Around 20 people lose their lives in house fires every year that could have been prevented, with many more sustaining life-changing injuries.

"I am encouraging households across NSW to take simple precautions like making sure smoke alarms are working, keeping objects a metre from the heater, not leaving cooking unattended and not using outdoor heating equipment inside."

Also present at the launch was former Director of the Burns Unit at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Dr John Harvey.

"It's heart-breaking to watch little children like Cayden in hospital, trying to cope with the horrific pain burns can inflict," Dr Harvey said.

"As adults, we can protect our young ones by being extra vigilant around fire."

FRNSW advises the public to:

For information on how to safeguard your home, call FRNSW to discuss booking a Safety Visit. Fire crews will come to your home, ensure smoke detectors are in working order and advise on how to best protect your loved ones.