Hypothesis about Spontaneous Human Combustion

The phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion, akin to a living torch, can occur due to the wick effect with body fat serving as the fuel.

What is Spontaneous Human Combustion?

Spontaneous combustion occurs when an object ignites without an external ignition source—flames develop from chemical reactions within the object. When this phenomenon occurs in humans, it is referred to as spontaneous human combustion (SHC). However, SHC remains a topic of controversy and lacks a definitive scientific explanation.

Cases attributed to SHC often share certain commonalities: The body is destroyed while nearby objects remain largely intact. However, it is not always the case that the entire body turns to ash. In some instances, only the torso is burned while the limbs are unaffected.

Additionally, SHC cases typically show no clear heat sources that could ignite a fire. Most victims share characteristics such as being elderly, overweight, socially isolated, and often female, who have consumed a significant amount of alcohol.

SHC has never been reliably witnessed. Despite skepticism, it is sometimes accepted in forensic investigations and listed as a legal cause of death.

Historical Cases of Spontaneous Human Combustion

In December 2010, a 76-year-old man died in his living room in Ireland. Nearly a year later, investigators concluded that he died due to the peculiar phenomenon known as spontaneous human combustion, which causes the body to suddenly ignite without an external ignition source.

According to Roger Byard, a pathology researcher at the University of Adelaide, when investigators arrive at the scene, they often find the victim’s hands and feet intact while the head and torso have turned to ash. Nearby furniture typically shows minimal damage. But if spontaneous combustion is a real phenomenon, why does it not occur more frequently? There have only been about 200 reports of such incidents in the past 300 years, with no signs of being ignited by an external heat source.

Victims are often found alone in their homes, with the head and torso having burned away. However, the limbs remain intact. In rare cases, internal organs are undamaged. The crime scene rooms also show no signs of burning, except for a residue of fat on furniture and walls.

In 1641, Danish doctor Thomas Bartholin (1616-1680) described the strange death of Polonus Vorstius—a knight from Italy—in his book documenting rare diseases. In 1470, after consuming some strong liquor, Vorstius reportedly began to vomit fire before igniting. This is considered the first recorded instance of spontaneous human combustion in human history.

Illustration depicting spontaneous human combustion. (Image: Public Domain)

In 1673, French author Jonas Dupont published a book studying cases of spontaneous human combustion (SHC). One of the most famous cases in France occurred in 1725 when a innkeeper in Paris awoke to find his wife had turned to ash, her body lying on an intact straw mattress. The mattress remained unharmed, and the surrounding wooden furniture was also intact.

All that remained of his wife, Mrs. Millet—a chronic alcoholic—were her skull, a few vertebrae, and leg bones. Initially, the husband was suspected of murdering his wife, but he was later acquitted thanks to the testimony of a surgeon named Claude-Nicolas Le Cat, who happened to be staying at the inn. The death of the innkeeper’s wife was subsequently deemed to be due to “the wrath of God.”

SHC became widely known in the 19th century when the famous English writer Charles Dickens used it to “kill off” a character in his novel Bleak House. Critics accused Dickens of describing non-existent phenomena, but he defended himself, pointing out that by that time, there had been 30 recorded cases of SHC.

Scene of a character burning in the novel Bleak House. (Image: Ancient Origins)

Victims of spontaneous human combustion often exhibit characteristics such as: being chronic alcoholics, typically middle-aged women, and the flames causing minimal damage to surrounding objects, with the body emitting a foul odor.

Numerous theories have been proposed regarding the causes of this phenomenon, including flammable body fat, acetone buildup, static electricity, bacteria, methane gas, and even divine intervention. The explanation most agreed upon by scientists is the “wick effect.”

If we consider the human body as a candle, then the body fat acts as candle wax, providing fuel for the fire. Hair or clothing serves as the wick. If for some reason the clothing or hair catches fire, the flames will initially burn the skin. The subcutaneous fat will seep into the clothing and continue to serve as fuel for the fire.

This theory can explain why only the body burns while the surrounding area and limbs are often less affected. However, it does not explain why this phenomenon occurs solely indoors. No cases of spontaneous combustion have been reported on the streets near easily ignitable sources. This phenomenon also only occurs in humans, with no reports of animals spontaneously combusting. Additionally, this theory does not explain why victims remain motionless during the burning process, nor why surrounding furniture often remains intact. Furthermore, to reduce a victim to ash, a very high temperature of about 1,648 degrees Celsius is required, while temperatures in crematoriums only reach about 982 degrees Celsius.

The “wick effect” theory. (Image: Ancient Origins)

SHC has been recorded not only in ancient texts but also in the modern world. In 2010, a case of spontaneous combustion occurred in Ireland.

The body of an elderly man was charred, with his head positioned near a fireplace. The room showed almost no other signs of burning, both on the floor and the ceiling above the body. An investigation report by the Irish police concluded that “spontaneous combustion” was the cause of death for this 76-year-old man.

Many believe that the human body contains numerous undiscovered secrets, one of which may be the ability for spontaneous combustion.