While officials did not release the woman's name on Saturday night, neighbors said they believed she was Delores Gillespie, though they were unclear as to the exact spelling of her first name. Ms. Gillespie was a postal worker, one neighbor said.
Residents were evacuated from the building after the fire. Hours later, some, like Maria Daley, wept while sitting on a city bus that had been provided for the displaced tenants. "She was my friend", Ms. Daley said. "I just spoke to her yesterday".
Another neighbor, Heidi Matthews, 46, said Ms. Gillespie had given her a plant on Mother's Day. "It's hard to believe somebody would do that to her", she said.
"We all loved her", Ms. Matthews said. "She was a part of this neighborhood for years".