A WOMAN who neglected to watch her food as it cooked was "lucky to escape serious injury" after it caught on fire.

Crews of fire fighters tackled the blaze at a house in Ridgefield Road in Cowley early on Saturday evening.

The family fled the house as their smoke alarm rang, and watched firemen put out flames which were threatening to spread from the kitchen.

No-one was badly hurt but the woman suffered a burn on her hand which was looked over by officers from South Central Ambulance Service arrived.

Fire fighter Dan Smith, of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The occupants of this property were extremely lucky to escape without serious injury which was down to early detection of the fire by the working smoke alarms that were fitted in the property."

He reminded landlords that they are legally obliged to fit smoke alarms for the safety of their tenants.