(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) Three tenants were displaced and one person lost her life following a fire at 503 West Sixth Street. [Order this photo]

Autopsy results are back and Spencer Fire Chief Doug Duncan confirmed smoke inhalation as the cause of death for 47-year-old Karen Lynn Colding who was trapped in her bedroom by an apartment fire earlier this week.

Members of the Spencer Fire Department saw heavy fire coming out an apartment complex at 503 West Sixth Street just before 11 p.m., Monday. They also went through severe heat and fire in an attempt to locate Colding.

"High levels of carbon monoxide were found in her system," from smoke inhalation, according to a statement released Wednesday by the fire chief.

Colding was living in the east, first-floor apartment with her father, who was home, but escaped the fire.

Investigators attribute the start of the fire to improperly discarded smoking materials, which ignited a sofa in the living room. Official records have not been kept, but longtime firefighters believe more than 30 years have passed since the city's last fire-related fatality.

The blaze also claimed the possessions of three families at the complex. The Iowa Great Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross helped relocate the tenants and is seeking the public's assistance for items including furnishings. Anyone with items that could be donated may call the Iowa Great Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross at (712) 262-1574 for more information. Damage is estimated at $70,000.

Funeral arrangements are pending for Colding at Warner Funeral Home of Spencer.