83-year-old woman injured in salon 'birthday cake' blaze (From Wirral Globe)

83-year-old woman injured in salon 'birthday cake' blaze

9:30am Monday 9th July 2012 in News

AN elderly woman was taken to hospital after suffering serious burns at a Wirral hairdressing salon.

The 83-year-old received injuries to her head and body in the incident, which fire investigators say is believed to have started from candles on a birthday cake.

Her clothes caught alight at the John Hemingway Hair Salon, Wallasey, on Saturday at around 12.15pm. A man in his 60s also suffered burns to his hands trying to put the fire out.

A Merseyside Fire spokesman said the flames were out by the time firefighters arrived at the scene.

The victims were taken by ambulance to Arrowe Park Hospital then transferred to the specialist burns unit at Whiston.

Wirral fire chief Paul Murphy said: “An elderly woman has been injured at a hairdressing salon.

“Firefighters administered first aid to the woman and requested an ambulance and gave the elderly woman oxygen.

“Another man was also taken to hospital with burns to his hands after it is thought he tried to put out the flames.”

Police carried out inquiries and spoke to witnesses but the cause of the fire is not being treated as suspicious at this stage.

The investigation will be handed over to Wirral Council's environmental health department once their enquiries are completed.