AN 89-YEAR-OLD woman was last night in a serious condition in hospital after suffering 60 per cent burns to her body in a fire.

Elsie Allerton suffered the burns to her lower body, including her legs and bottom, when her clothes set alight after she stood too close to an open-flame gas fire.

Emergency services were called to her home on Macdonald Crescent, in Meir, just after 5pm on New Year's Day.

At that time she was described as poorly but stable.

Mrs Allerton, a mother of two, is now being treated at Selly Oak Hospital, in Birmingham, where her condition was described as serious but stable.

Neighbour Margaret Snape, who has known Mrs Allerton for 38 years, described her as an independent woman.

The retired 62-year-old, also of Macdonald Crescent, said: "She is a grand old lady. She is lovely. This is so sad."

She added: "She lives on her own and her daughter brings her dinners up, but she is still very independent.

"You will see her all summer in the garden, she loves gardening, and she walks into Meir to do her shopping every week."

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service attended seven house fires on Friday.

The first, at South Street, Stafford, killed pensioner Gillian Bromley, aged 65.

Investigations are still ongoing into the cause, but the fire service said the most probable source was a convector fan heater that could have set fire to some bedding.

Crews from Longton Fire Station had attended the incident in Macdonald Crescent, although the blaze was already out when firefighters arrived.

The incident came almost a year after a similar incident occurred in Cheddleton.

Gwendoline Faulkner, aged 94, of The Avenue, died after suffering multiple burns when her clothes caught fire as she leaned over an open hearth on New Year's Eve 2008.

Chief fire officer Peter Dartford said: "In both these incidents, it appears that those involved were obviously trying to keep warm during the cold snap.

"We'd urge people to take extra care when using portable heaters and open or gas fires by not getting too close to them and by keeping flammable materials such as clothes a safe distance away."

He added: "It has been a tragic start to the New Year and we just hope that we don't have a repeat of this time last year when we had four fire deaths involving elderly people in just four weeks."

Staffordshire Fire Service is currently running a campaign called Young at Heart, Safe at Home which aims to raise awareness of fire safety among the elderly and those who care for them.

Free home fire risk checks can be booked by calling 0800 0241 999.