The strange thing about spontaneous human combustion is that
there is no proven cause so far. In most
cases of spontaneous human combustion, the body will be found burnt, usually
from the inside out, with a limb or two left to be found. Usually the surrounding
area is not burnt, solely the body of the deceased.
Spontaneous combustion cases have been reported for around 300 years. The first official documented case of spontaneous human combustion was reported by the Danish anatomist Thomas Bartholin in 1663. He detailed how a woman in Paris was incinerated while sleeping. The straw mattress on which she slept was untouched by the fire.
One of the most famous cases of the phenomena was that of Mary Reeser in 1951 who was reduced to a pile of ashes except for her skull and foot. In 1982, the township of Edmondton north of London, was shocked when they heard a local girl - Jeannie Saffin - had burst into flames while sitting beside her father in their home. Jeannie later died from the horrific burns. In 1990, a Chinese newspaper ran a story about the spontaneous combustion of four-year-old Tong Tangjiang.
What Causes Spontaneous Combustion?
Some believe the phenomenon is due to bacterial action,
similar to that which causes haystacks to burst into flames. If the centre of
the haystack is moist bacteria multiplies rapidly, producing heat in the
fermentation process. Bacteria in the human alimentary canal or stomach might
cause a similar effect. But experts say bacteria could never generate enough
heat to consume a human body – it takes over a thousand-degrees Celsius in a
crematorium.
Another thing that deepens the mystery is that there is no evidence that any of the victims in recorded cases of spontaneous combustion try to escape or get help. They seem to simply remain sat down wherever they are.
