The Mosgiel fire, in Severn St last week, and the blaze in Portobello on May 31 occurred in similar circumstances and both homes were extensively damaged.
Mosgiel station officer Steve Turnbull said information from the initial call to firefighters was that the Severn St house caught alight after a log rolled from the fire on to a packet of fire-lighters, which quickly ignited clothing hanging nearby. The fire spread to a chair before gutting the interior of the house.
Many items of clothing contained very flammable materials and people needed to be careful, Mr Turnbull said.
East Otago fire risk management officer Mike Harrison, of Dunedin, said there had been a reduction in the number of house fires so far this winter, but people needed to remember to use the "metre heater'' rule.
"All combustible material should be at least a metre away from the fireplace,'' he said.
"Often we see clothes racks close to the fireplace or heater. All it takes is a spark or a piece of fabric to overheat and you will have a fire.''
He reminded people to ensure their chimneys were clean and that ashes were held in a sealed metal container for at least five days before being disposed of.
