By: Kaitlyn Burks

1. Spontaneous Combustion By: Kaitlyn Burks

2. What is it? • Spontaneous combustion is the ignition of a combustible material without the application of external heat or flame. Aka when something randomly catches on fire for no reason. :) • For Example: The self-generated heat produced by cotton soaked in oil and confined in a poorly ventilated room sometimes becomes sufficient to ignite the cotton.

3. What all can spontaneously combust? More things spontaneously combust than you think. Some of the things and the reason they do are: • Haystacks- because of heat from produced by bacterial fermentation. • Linseed Oil- can oxidize leading to a build up of heat. • Coal- may spontaneously ignite when exposed to oxygen. • Pyrite-oxidizes and causes spontaneous ignition in old mine tailings. • Pistachio- when stored with lots of other pistachios, self heat can cause combustion. • Cow Poo- extreme heat is the cause of spontaneous combustion. • Cotton/Linen- being stored so the heat cannot escape. Once ignition temperature is reached, combustion occurs when oxygen is present.

4. Can Humans Spontaneously Combust?

5. The phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion has apparently been reported often enough that it has its own acronym: SHC. Heard that one before? Nope, neither had I. Seen any SHC lately? I hope not. • No one really knows why or if humans actually “spontaneously combust.” On the other hand.. 200 cited cases have been reported over the course of the last 300 years, so there must be something to it. Right? SHC describes alleged cases of the spontaneous combustion and the resultant severe burning of a human body without apparent external sources of ignition.

6. Scientific understanding suggests that in cases of reported spontaneous combustion, there has always been a legitimate source of ignition, such as a burning cigarette, candle, or lantern flame. • Nothing really explains, why in some cases, it has been reported that the body of the victim has been burned beyond recognition, while the surrounding materials, such as bedding, chairs, etc. have been left unscathed.

7. On July 2nd 1951 remains were found of a 67 year old widower named Mary Reeser. Her burnt remains were found by her neighbor and some house painters. She had been sitting in an easy chair when the incident happened. Her left foot, still wearing a slipper, remained intact and only the corner of the room and the chair she was sitting in had been burnt. They found that her skull which had been shrunk to the size of a baseball by the unusually intense heat. This is her.

8. Common Facts • Eighty percent of the victims are female. • Most of the victims were overweight and/or alcoholics. • The body is very badly burned, but the room the body was found in is pretty much intact except for a fine layer of soot. • A yellow, foul smelling oil is usually surrounding the body. • The torso, including the chest, abdomen and hips tend to be totally consumed, sparing portions of the head - the clothing can also be intact. • The victim was always on their own - no shouts or screams could ever be heard. • The victim had usually been drinking heavily prior to the death.

9. Works Cited • htthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_combustionp://www.4information.com/trivia/spontaneous-combustion/ • http://www.skepdic.com/shc.html • http://www.castleofspirits.com/shc.html • http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-spontaneous-human-combustion?image=5