Smoke From Fire Kills South Hill Man Cigarette Left On Chair Thought To Be Cause Of Morning Blaze

Fire claimed the life of a south Spokane man Thursday morning.

Firefighters said James E. Borgan, 51, died of smoke inhalation in his home at 1718 S. Arthur.

The fire was apparently started by a burning cigarette left on an upholstered chair, Battalion Chief Joe Stapleton said.

A friend of Borgan’s, who asked not to be identified, said Borgan was a heavy smoker.

Stapleton said a neighbor reported the blaze at 8:55 a.m., but the fire may have been smoldering for hours. Smoke was pouring from the living room when firefighters arrived, and the chair had dropped through the hardwood floor, spreading flames into the basement.

“It was evident to fire investigators that he (Borgan) had gone to bed in an upstairs bedroom the night before” and woke to the sound and smell of the fire, Stapleton said.

Firefighters found Borgan’s body in the living room, but nowhere near the front door, indicating he either became disoriented or was trying to put out the flames, Stapleton said.

Smoke detectors in the house weren’t working, he said.

Borgan was a traffic engineer who worked on projects such as the Spokane Arena and plans to expand Harvard Road near Liberty Lake. He worked out of his house, where he lived alone.

The friend said Borgan had back problems that made it difficult to negotiate the spiral staircase that led from the living room of the 1909 house to the bedrooms and office upstairs.

Borgan had two daughters, ages 18 and 21, Stapleton said.

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