The man who died in an Easter morning cooking accident in Potomac was a revered economics professor at Howard University, his colleagues said.

Sung Y. Kwack, 74, died after a fire on the stove set his house in the 8900 block of Scarboro Court on fire around 4:40 a.m. Sunday, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Chief Scott Graham said.

A 25-year economics professor at Howard University, Kwack retired about three years ago, said Ransford Palmer, a friend and economics professor at Howard.

"We had a lot of respect for Dr. Kwack," Palmer said. "He was a serious scholar. He knew his material well and he taught it well and we're going to miss him."

A second man found outside the house when firefighters arrived has been released from the hospital after being treated for smoke inhalation, Graham said. He believes the man was visiting from Korea.

A neighbor reported the fire after it spread beyond the kitchen window, officials said. It took about 20 minutes to extinguish.

The fire was determined to be accidential and caused by an unattended saucepan, Graham said. The blaze did not spread far beyond the kitchen and caused $300,000 in structural damages and $100,000 in damage to contents of the house.

ccalamaio@gazette.net