A 79-year-old man died when he fell asleep smoking a cigarette in a West Village apartment Friday morning, police said.

The fire broke out in a 10th-floor apartment at 20 West 13th Street just before 9 a.m., according to authorities.

The man was found in the bedroom, while his wife was found in the living room of the apartment and refused medical attention, Acting Deputy Fire Chief Thomas McCarthy told reporters.