KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department said an unattended cigarette was the cause of a Wednesday morning northland motel fire that killed a woman.

The two-alarm fire started shortly after 3:30 a.m. at the Super Inn on Northeast Parvin Road, just west of I-29.

The fire was contained to just one of the 115 units at the two-story motel, but 43 units with guests had to be evacuated. Those guests remained outside in the cold temperatures awaiting the all-clear to return inside. Some guests huddled in the lobby of the motel to avoid the cold.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, they said heavy smoke was coming from the first floor of the motel. Fire crews said they found the woman's body inside the room. She was then taken outside where CPR was performed in an attempt to revive her. Fire crews said the woman died of smoke inhalation.

"Between the fire itself and the smoke, smoke is always fatal," Kansas City fire Batallion Chief Joe Vitale said. "It just takes a little bit of smoke. In this case her room was blackened with smoke and the fire itself contained to a portion of the room."