The fire began just before 10 p.m. in a back bedroom of the second floor of a two-story building on 168th Street between Boston Road and Forest Avenue, according to the FDNY.
The elderly resident, later identified as Allison Johnson, was found dead in a second-floor room.
Her neighbors described her as a fixture of the community.
"It's a very sad night for us," said neighbor Dorita Joseph. "Not only for us as her neighbors, but for the community."
Joseph said Johnson was friendly and a godly woman.
Joseph said her apartment was very smoky hours later and still had a "horrible smell" from the aftermath of the fire. Neighbors said they did not know if they could go back.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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