An 82-year-old Richardson man died in a house fire early Saturday morning, officials say.
According to a city spokesman, the fire was reported at 5:07 a.m. at a two-story home along the 300 block of Fall Creek Drive. It took firefighters about an hour to bring the flames under control, the spokesman said.
The Richardson Fire Department and the University of Texas at Dallas identified the man Monday as James Carter, a geoscientist and associate professor emeritus at UTD.
Carter was believed to have been alone at the time of the fire.
UTD released the following statement Monday.
Dr. James Carter, who passed away over the weekend, was a quintessential lifelong learner and a respected teacher and mentor. He was among the longest-serving faculty members in UT Dallas’ history. Dr. Carter was a world-renowned lunar geology expert who he earned numerous awards and honors throughout his career. He retired from the University in 2008, but continued to serve the UT Dallas community. He will be sorely missed.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
