By Danny Valentine, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, February 9, 2012
SEMINOLE — An 84-year-old woman died late Wednesday night after she started her pajamas on fire while lighting a cigarette.
Sonja Skemp was in her bedroom when the fire started just after 11 p.m. at 7008 Green Briar Drive in Seminole, Pinellas sheriff's officials said.
Her husband of 62 years, Samuel Skemp, 86, who walks with a cane, was on the other side of the home when the fire started and could not reach her in time to help.
Fire crews arrived and pronounced Sonja Skemp dead. Her husband was not injured.
Sonja Skemp is the third elderly person to die in a fire started by a cigarette in Seminole in the last week.
On Feb. 2, a fire killed 97-year-old Alice Haker and her 78-year-old disabled daughter, Marlene Schaffran.
Investigators said that fire also was started by a cigarette in a bedroom in their unit at Twin Oaks condominiums, 11200 102nd Ave N.