The fire that killed 69-year-old Anna Spiteri in her St Julian’s home early on Sunday morning is believed to have been started by a burning cigarette, according to sources close to the investigation.

Spiteri, a known smoker, died in her sleep in her house in Wesgħa Agostino Savelli.

She was found dead in her bed after the fire was put out by civil protection personnel. It was in her bed that the fire is believed to have started, sources said.

Neighbours said that Spiteri, a widow, had been living alone since her husband Tony died some 10 years ago.

An inquiry is being held into the fire – the second one this month involving a person killed where they slept.

On July 2, Maged Saad Malak Eshak, a shopkeeper, died in a fire at his shop, where he would also bed down for the night.

Forget putting out the fire. The most important thing is to get out to avoid inhaling the smoke

The 23-year-old was due to get married two weeks later.

The shop was the popular Middel East Markets in Triq Ħal Qormi, Marsa, on the border with Ħamrun.

Emanuel Psaila, head of the Civil Protection Department, said that such cases were uncommon.

However, he said that whenever a fire broke out in a room where someone was sleeping, the person usually died in his or her sleep due to smoke inhalation.

“People think it’s the fire that kills when the real danger is the smoke,” he said, adding that smoke inhalation killed in just a few minutes.

The smoke contains a cocktail of poisonous chemicals, depending on the materials burned, including the deadly carbon monoxide released from the fire and hydrogen cyanide from burning plastics.

Psaila said that if a person was lucky enough to wake up to find there was a fire in their bedroom, the first priority was to get out of that room, and then to call for help.

“Forget putting out the fire. The most important thing is to get out to avoid inhaling the smoke,” he said.