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GREENSBORO — A woman died in a predawn fire at the Cumberland Courts apartments Tuesday.

Authorities identified the victim as 82-year-old Katherine Harris, whom firefighters found inside the apartment as they battled the blaze at 327-E Cumberland St.

The Greensboro Fire Department said the fire started when a lit cigarette set a bed on fire in the bedroom.

“The fire could have lasted longer than an hour,” Assistant Fire Chief David Douglas said. “Smoldering fires take a long time to grow into big fires.”

A passer-by saw the fire about 1:10 a.m. Tuesday and called 911.

Firefighters arrived four minutes after the 911 call, Douglas said.

Next-door neighbor Chris Moore said he and his wife, Nichole, heard a driver honking outside, warning them of the blaze. The couple also heard Harris banging against the wall.

They woke their children, Camia, 9, and Chris Jr., 7, and then ran outside and banged on their neighbors’ doors to get them out.

The Moores couldn’t get near Harris’ apartment because of the heat, smoke and flames.

“It’s just sad that she was still in there,” Chris Moore said. He called Harris “a real nice, friendly lady.”

The fire caused extensive damage to the one-story apartment.

The blaze reached the attic atop the three-unit apartment block, but firefighters were able to confine the fire to the unit in which it started.

Other units in the block sustained heat and smoke damage.

A blue tarp lay over the roof of apartments E, F and G late Tuesday afternoon as yellow signs reading “Condemned” hung on the doors.

The tenants in the other condemned units have been helped by the American Red Cross and will stay elsewhere until the units are repaired.

The fire department estimated the damage to the apartment and its contents at $25,000.

The apartment had two smoke alarms, and both were working when the fire broke out. The apartments don’t have sprinklers, which are not required because of the building’s age.

Contact Dioni L. Wise at 373-7090 or dioni.wise@news-record.com