Spontaneous Human Combustion

Spontaneous Human Combustion

Spontaneous Human Combustion(SHC) pertains to the burning of a person's body occurring without an outside source of ignition. The characteristics of SHC varies form different cases but most of the time evidences gathered are more likely show similar clues which we can relate to other SHC cases.

Now, the evidences gathered are as follows; the victim is an elderly, the furniture around the victim stayed untouched, a part of the ceiling above the victim was damaged, the victim was reduced to ash with only her extremities(foot) left and no outside source of ignition was observed. All of which are surprisingly similar evidences to all cases hypothesized as SHC.

As one of the investigators, I strongly agree that this case is caused by SHC. It was due to four facts that I had observed. First, all of the evidences gathered ate identical to all cases concluded as SHC cases.

Secondly, the wicked effect hypothesis can be applied to this case. The victim possibly drank alcohol beverages which can make her combustibility increased in such a way that even a small amount of heat can set up a combustion process. Also, another scenario is the presence of perfume in her clothes of the victim can trigger enough ignitions to make the clothes on fire. This small amount of heat and fire slowly makes the human body dry then lately it will continuously consume fats as the combustible material and as a fuel within our skin setting the whole body on fire. Most of the fats are located in the mid part of our body, which is why in SHC cases most part that are left behind are the extremities (foot, hands).

Thirdly, the static flash fire hypothesis can also be applied to this case. Mainly because of the fact that our own body constantly have approximately 500k ohms (resistance) and therefore can acquire such electrical charge enough to set the whole body on fire. This resistance that we have in our body is completely ignored by static charges. But before the static electricity may occur the person, object and the environment must be dry. One can build up as much as 30k volts by just friction to other objects (including persons) and having dry skin. A relevant example is when you are at the mall there can come a time when we can feel some spark or electric pulse when we come in contact with someone. I had experience it several times. But the thing is, the dryness of the environment at the mall is not enough to set someone on fire. It is due to the