A WOMAN suffered serious burns after her headscarf caught fire while she was cooking.

Firefighters have issued a warning after the elderly woman was hurt when igniting the gas hob on Thursday in Audley, Blackburn.

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They said the guidance is aimed at anyone wearing loose clothing while cooking and is ‘not directly about Muslim clothing’.

The fire service did not attend, but were told afterwards.

A spokesman said: “The fire service will be advising the community of the dangers during home fire safety visits.

“The issue is not directly about Muslim clothing, it is about cooking while wearing any type of loose clothing.

“Many families follow traditional cooking methods and habits.

“We want to work with these families to see how we can help to keep them safe from accidental fire.

“However, it has been recognised that saris and headscarves are loose clothing which could very easily catch fire if you get too close. I would just like to remind people to take extra care in the kitchen.”

He added firefighters will be making more visits to vulnerable people to ensure they understand the dangers of loose clothing and cooking.