A Martinsville man apparently died of smoke inhalation early Saturday, after a small fire ignited by a cigarette smoldered in his apartment, authorities said.

Curtis Lee Hodiak Flood, 57, was found dead about 4 a.m. in his apartment on Mountain Road, off Chatham Heights Road in northeast Martinsville, after a cigarette was apparently left burning on a sofa, city spokesman Scott Coleman said.

When firefighters arrived, thick smoke filled the apartment, but there was no fire, Coleman said. It appeared the fire died out after oxygen levels dropped too low to sustain the flames, he said.

Firefighters found Flood in a bedroom, Coleman said, adding they also discovered a smoke alarm on a coffee table, under a book. The alarm was not sounding, but there were loud beeps coming from alarms in adjacent apartments.

The incident is under investigation.

-- Jorge Valencia