MANHATTAN — An 87-year-old woman was found dead in her bed Thursday after a lit cigarette sparked a fire inside the Upper West Side retirement home where she lived, NYPD officials said.
The woman, whose name wasn't immediately released, was found in her fifth-floor apartment at the Phelps House at 595 Columbus Ave., near West 89th Street, after the fire was put out, police said.
The blaze started about 1:15 a.m. and was brought under control by 1:50 a.m., FDNY officials said.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
It wasn't immediately clear how she died, police said.
Per #FDNY Fire Marshals: Cause of 2/22 all-hands fire, 595 Columbus Ave Manhattan was accidental, smoking. Smoke alarm present, operational
— FDNY (@FDNY) February 23, 2017
The Phelps House, which is run by the Goddard Riverside Community Center, houses "older adults and people with mobility impairments," according to its website.
Staff there didn't immediately respond to a request for the comment.
