A 79-year-old man fell asleep with a cigarette in his mouth, sparking a fire at an apartment building near Union Square Friday morning, authorities say.
The man, identified as Leon Gold, died in the blaze at the 13-story building on West 13th Street. Police say the fire started in his apartment.
The FDNY says it knocked out the blaze before 10 a.m. No one else was hurt.
