Careless smoking and the absence of a working smoke detector led to the death of a 39-year-old woman in a North Side house fire yesterday, firefighters said.

Gina M. Spencer was the 16th person to die in a Columbus fire this year, Battalion Chief Doug Smith said.

"It’s the worst year we’ve had since 2003," when the city recorded 18 fire deaths, he said.

Investigators said Spencer had been smoking in bed in the rear of the one-story structure at 805 Strimple Ave. Her husband, Jeffrey H. Spencer, discovered the fire when he returned to the house about 2:45 a.m.

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