No, the body can't suddenly burst into flames for no reason, despite what your junior high Strange Stories and Amazing Facts books will tell you. However, your body can burst into flames if you aren't careful where you walk. A young boy from Colorado Springs found this out the hard way when we strolled over a patch of coal waste from a nearby mine. Coal continually oxidizes, but out in the open, the heat is usually carried away by wind. No such luck in this case. The patch of quicksand-like coal dust had reached 800 degrees and ignited when the boy's feet disturbed it, badly burning him. Thankfully, the kid survived. Now how long do you think it'll be before the spontaneous human combustion crowd claims this as a hit? More details here.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Spontaneous Combustion
