PORTLAND – Frank Fixaris, a sports broadcaster known for his deep baritone voice and encyclopedic knowledge of sports in a career that spanned five decades, died Friday when a fire broke out in his home in Falmouth.

Fixaris’ body was found on a couch in the family room of the 11/2-story home on the Middle Road. The blaze was caused by careless disposal of smoking materials, according to the state fire marshal’s office.

Fixaris, 71, was a smoker and investigators theorized that he may have fallen asleep while smoking.

Fixaris’ wife, Barbara, dialed 911 after smelling smoke in her upstairs bedroom at 3:34 a.m. She escaped without injury.

Firefighters tried to enter the family room but were driven back by heavy smoke and flames. Fire damage was limited to the one room, Fire Chief Cameron Martin said.

Fixaris, who was seriously injured in a fire more than 45 years ago, served from 1967 to 1992 as sports director on WGME-TV, Portland, and was currently co-hosting “The Morning Jab with Shoe, Fix and Joe,” a popular sports talk show on WJAB radio in Westbrook.

Friends and colleagues of Fixaris were shocked and saddened by news of his death.

“Everybody on the morning team is pretty stunned now,” said Jon Van Hoogenstyn, general manager of WJAB, where Fixaris and Dave Schumacher had been hosting their four-hour talk show for the past five years. Joe Palmieri was the most recent addition to the team.

Van Hoogenstyn characterized Fixaris as a sports icon who was knowledgeable about sports on all levels, from local high schools to the pros.

At WGME, general manager Alan Cartwright said Fixaris was “a true broadcast pioneer.”

“Frank helped the community with the Maine Special Olympics and was known for his well-reasoned voice and wit covering sports in New England,” Cartwright said.

Fixaris, who began his career with several Portland radio stations before joining WGME-TV, was injured in a fire in the fall of 1960 at a lakeside camp outside Portland where he was living with roommates, according to WGAN newsman Dick Johnson, a former colleague.

That fire, which was caused by a gas leak, claimed the life of one of the roommates and left Fixaris with severe hand burns, Johnson recalled.