The fire broke out on the first floor of the building on 80th Street at around 5:10 a.m. Thursday.
The woman was pronounced dead in her first-floor apartment.
Fire officials said the cause of the fire was due to smoking and they were told the woman was a smoker.
The woman's roommate broke a window to escape the thick smoke in his bedroom.
"In desperation, I broke the window with my hand," roommate Jon Blandon said.
Both of his hands are wrapped in bandages but it pales in comparison to the loss of his roommate.
He described trying to save her.
"I went to go outside to help her, the smoke came into the bedroom and I couldn't breathe," Blandon said.
According to officials, there have been 61 fire fatalities in the city.
Since November 9th, 13 people over the age of 65 have died in fires, raising concerns about fire safety for seniors.
"I would encourage people that have relatives or know somebody that solve that age, to check in on them and go to their homes and see if there's any hazards in that home," Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flymm said.
Officials said cluttered conditions in the victim's apartment may have made it difficult for her to escape.
Three other residents were hurt, one while climbing down the fire escape.
He was taken to the hospital. Two other residents refused medical attention at the scene.
A firefighter suffered non-life-threatening injuries. They were taken to an area hospital for treatment.
The American Red Cross said it is assisting two households, including 4 adults and one child, after the fire.
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