WASHINGTON (AP) -- An elderly woman was severely burned Thursday in a fire at her Northeast Washington home.

District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services spokesman Alan Etter said the 87-year-old woman set her clothing on fire with a cigarette. She was taken to Washington Hospital Center's burn unit with burns over 80-percent of her body.

The victim was the primary caregiver for her 86-year-old, bedridden husband, Etter said. He was also hospitalized, though he was not seriously injured.

Etter said the fire was already out when crews arrived, but firefighters had to get both out of the house, which was filled with smoke.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Just last month, an invalid man smoking in bed in his Northwest Washington home was killed when his clothes caught fire. His 79-year-old wife had to be led to safety.