A Maidstone woman was treated for minor burns to her back on Saturday, after her clothing caught fire while she was cooking.

The woman, thought to be in her late 30’s, had turned her back on the cooker to put something in the dishwasher when the flame from the gas hob ignited her dress.

She phoned 999 and two crews from Maidstone fire station were called to the house, in Curzon Road, just before midday.

The fire was out when they arrived, but they applied burns dressings to her back before handing her into the care of the ambulance service.

Maidstone Crew Manager Aaron Hughes said: “The best way to reduce injury if your clothes do catch fire is to follow the stop, drop and roll advice below.”

• Stop - Don’t run around – you’ll fan the flames and make them burn faster.

• Drop - Lie down and roll around. This smothers the flames and makes it harder for them to spread.

• Roll - Smother the flames with heavy material, like a coat, a blanket or a fire blanket.

For more free advice on keeping safe from fire, speak to a Kent Fire and Rescue home safety advisor on 0800 923 7000, or email home@kent.fire-uk.org.