The Nation - News from May 26, 1987
A fire that killed one elderly patient and severely injured her two roommates in the geriatric wing of Goldwater Memorial Hospital in New York City was apparently caused by a carelessly handled cigarette, a hospital official said. The blaze broke out Sunday night in the 32-bed nursing home unit, gutting the room of three patients and forcing the evacuation of the ward, officials said. Anna Shift, 88, of Queens, was killed. One of her roommates, age 72, suffered smoke inhalation, and a second roommate, 63, suffered second- and third-degree burns. Both women were listed in critical condition.
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