A 75-year-old man died after his electric blanket caught fire during the night, an inquest was told.
An inquest into the death of John Mercer heard that the alarm was raised at 4.38am on December 28 but firefighters found him at the top of the stairs with burns to his head, back and lower legs.
Mr Mercer, a retired fitter, of Roebuck Close, Blackburn, was taken by ambulance to Royal Blackburn Hospital but was dead on arrival.
The inquest heard that initial inquiries by fire investigators suggested the seat of the fire was the electric blanket on the bed where Mr Mercer had been sleeping.
The inquest was adjourned so that inquiries can be completed.
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