An East Atlantic Beach woman using a hairdryer to thaw a frozen pipe accidentally sparked a fire in her apartment that left her injured, fire official sources said. 

The incident occurred at 46 Trenton Ave. Tuesday. 

Fire official sources told News 12 that the woman was using her hairdryer to thaw out a frozen pipe underneath her sink. They say she closed the cabinet and left the hairdryer running inside for about 44 minutes. According to fire official sources, the woman has a cold and could not smell the fire that sparked inside the cabinet. They also said she didn't have a smoke detector.  

Sources say when she opened the cabinet door, flames poured out – burning her face, neck, arms and chest.

A neighbor called for an ambulance while firefighters put out the fire. Long Beach Fire Chief Joseph Miller says the woman is lucky to be alive.

"She's very fortunate. She has first-degree burns…to the front of her body," said Miller.

John Murray, the chief instructor at the Nassau Firefighters Museum and Education Center, says it's fine to use a hair dryer to defrost a frozen pipe but it should never be left running in an enclosed area.

Murray also says people should also avoid using heat guns, paint guns and torches on frozen pipes.

"Nothing with an open flame. That's a big issue because you may heat up the interior of the wall and there might be some insulation back there and that'll catch fire," he says.

The woman is being treated at Nassau University Medical Center.