A UTTOXETER pensioner had a lucky escape after she mistakenly put her electric kettle on a gas hob — causing it to catch fire.
One fire crew from Uttoxeter attended the incident in Moor Grove at 2.14pm on Monday after the woman in her 70s confused a plastic kettle for an older metal one.
It came just weeks after the inquest into the death of another East Staffordshire resident who died from severe burns after doing exactly the same thing.
This time, the woman, who has not been identified, noticed the small fire in the kitchen and was able to get out of the property to wait for firefighters to arrive.
Station manager Toby Wilson said: “It appears the elderly woman confused a plastic kettle with the metal kind you would place on a hob. She accidentally placed the plastic kettle on a gas hob and lit the hob, which then set fire to the kettle, causing a small fire.
“Luckily the woman was OK and able to get out of the property to wait for firefighters to arrive.” Firefighters used one hose reel jet to extinguish the fire and crews left the scene at 3pm.
Although the woman had working smoke alarms, she had not had a free Home Fire Risk Check so this was carried out while the firefighters were at the property.
Mr Wilson added: “There were working smoke alarms fitted in the property, however the lady had not had a free Home Fire Risk Check from us.
“Firefighters carried out a free check before leaving and it has been recommended that the woman has assisted technology fitted so that in the event of a fire the smoke alarms would automatically alert a call centre which in turn would alert us.” The inquest into 88-year-old dementia sufferer Ellen Baker, of Stapenhill, near Burton, heard she did exactly the same thing by putting a plastic kettle on a gas hob in January this year.
However, after realising what she had done, Mrs Baker took the appliance to the sink to try to extinguish the flames with water and towels but her clothing set alight and she walked into her lounge and sat down in an armchair, causing the flames to spread around her.
South Staffordshire Coroner Andrew Haigh recorded a verdict of accidental death and gave the cause of death as severe burns.
