| Woman, 77, dies during apt. blaze |
and LEO STANDORA
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Investigators said they were looking into whether the victim, Bertha Ortiz, 77, had been smoking in bed in her home at 701 W. 175th St.
Alexis Perez, 40, was coming home from work shortly after 4 p.m. when she heard screams.
"When I turned the corner, I saw smoke and flames shooting out of the windows on the fourth floor," she said. "People were yelling and coming down the fire escapes in a rush."
Residents of all 62 apartments were evacuated temporarily into Red Cross buses.
Ortiz, a member of Jehovah's Witnesses, shared her fourth-floor apartment with her brother, who was not home when the fire started.
The fate of her two beloved dogs - a poodle and a Chihuahua - wasn't immediately known.
"She was a very sweet lady and a good neighbor," said Damaris Diaz, 40. "You always saw her carrying her two little dogs around. Everybody is crying about this."
Officials said a group of teens who hang out nearby, including Jay Alfonso, 19, likely prevented more casualties by knocking on doors and telling tenants to get out.
With Martin Mbugua