Man puts out fire with aunt's massive underwear

LONDON - They went from baggy knickers to the ultimate hotpants.

A fire department official in Britain says Jenny Marsey's miraculous underwear saved the day by doubling as an emergency fire blanket during a kitchen blaze.

Marsey's nephew, John, was frying bread in her kitchen in Hartlepool, northeast England, on Sunday when the fire broke out.

He grabbed the nearest thing from a pile of washing to smother the fire - a wet pair of his aunt's size 18 underwear.

The nephew's quick thinking saved the kitchen but left Marsey's underpants slightly scorched.

"It could have been a lot worse," said Marsey. "My family could have been in hospital but the knickers saved the day."

A fire brigade spokesman said that the general principle - using a large, wet cloth to cover a grease fire - was a sound one.

As for using underwear: "Clearly it depends on what size you are," he said, "but I don't want to go there."