A 90-year-old woman, who was sent to hospital with burns after putting out a fire with her bare hands, is on her way back to a Watford care home.

Fire fighters from Watford station were called to Harrowgate Court, in Harrowgate Road, after a pair of flaming curtains set off a fire alarm yesterday.

But when they arrived they discovered 90-year-old Lilly MacAlvoy had already tackled the fire by beating out the blaze with her hands.

Tina Pearson, Harrowgate housing support officer, said Mrs MacAlvoy was fine but had stayed at Watford General Hospital overnight.

She said: “Her sister's on the way to pick her up and bring her home, they wanted to keep her in to make sure she hadn't suffered from smoke inhalation.

On the 90-year-old's heroic action, she added: “That's what she's like, she sees a problem and sorts it out.”

Crew commander David Tams said he believed the fire started when some water splashed into a pan of cooking oil, which caught fire, and spread to the curtains.

He added: “Mrs MacAlvoy managed to put the fire out with her bare hands. She was fantastic. They don't make them like that anymore.”