An elderly woman is dead following an apartment fire at Ironton’s Sherman Thompson Towers.

The Ironton fire and police departments responded to the call at about 10:35 a.m. this morning.

Detective Joe Ross said a home health nurse heard a smoke alarm go off in the 68-year-old woman’s room and saw smoke coming from beneath the door.

It appears, Ross said, the woman, who was on oxygen, was smoking a cigarette, which led to the fire.

“She (the nurse) tried to extinguish the fire and then went for help,” Ross said.

It is suspected the woman died of smoke inhalation, Ross said, but the incident is being investigated by the state fire marshal’s office.

The woman’s name has not yet been released.