Firefighters, blocked by intense heat and flames, struggled to rescue her but could not reach her third-floor apartment before she was overcome by smoke.
Delphine Roehrig collapsed in her living room and was later taken to Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at about 2 a.m. "It's horrible," said Milford Fire Chief Larry Waligora.
The fire, which began at about 12:30 a.m., destroyed three units -- two on the second floor and one on the third -- at Riverview Apartments, 230 Canal. It took 1 1/2 hours for firefighters to control the blaze. The fire severely damaged nine other units, Waligora said.
Moreover, the chief said, it was a terrible way to start National Fire Prevention Week.
As exhausted firefighters spoke to elementary school students about fire safety, the fact that they cannot always rescue victims -- even when residents take precautions -- weighed on their minds, Waligora said.
A preliminary investigation indicates electrical wiring in a second-floor lighting fixture caused Monday's blaze, Waligora said. The complex had working smoke alarms --- which might have saved others, he said.
Waligora said firefighters tried to free Roehrig, who was trapped by the fire, by entering the building's front door. Heat and flames blocked their way.
A second group went in the building's rear entrance.
They made their way to the third floor. However, Waligora said, by the time the firefighters reached Roehrig's apartment, she was partly on the floor and couch. An autopsy indicated she died of smoke and soot inhalation.
Throughout the rest of the week, area firefighters are speaking about fire prevention.
The Detroit Fire Department will have a breakfast at 7:30 a.m. today in the Riverview Ballroom of the Cobo Center with a talk on "America's Businesses, Civic Organizations and Fire Departments Join Forces to Heighten Citizen Awareness of Fire Prevention."
Detroit's 44 firehouses also will be open for tours from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. today through Saturday.
