| A story you may have heard before: a person is | | | | functions similarly to the wick in a candle, allowing the |
| found fatally burned with no apparent fuel or ignition | | | | fire to sustain itself for hours at high temperature. The |
| source. With no better explanation for how the fire | | | | resulting fire damage then shows all the properties |
| started, investigators conclude that the person must | | | | reported in the myths. |
| have caught fire spontaneously. Although the details | | | | One problem complicating this explanation is that |
| can vary, this story is an urban legend that has | | | | spontaneous combustion in a general sense can |
| surfaced periodically for the past several decades, | | | | happen. Wet hay, for example, can generate enough |
| commonly known as "spontaneous human | | | | heat as it decomposes to catch itself on fire. But many |
| combustion." | | | | of the victims of SHC have been elderly smokers, and |
| This legend does have some basis in reality. There | | | | may have simply had a heart attack or stroke while |
| have been several cases over the years where a | | | | smoking. In other cases, electric blankets may have |
| burned body was found with no apparent ignition | | | | been involved. |
| source. One of the most common details of these | | | | It is a tragic fact that fire, in whatever form, claims the |
| stories is that there was little fire damage to the body's | | | | lives of thousands of people every year. The myth of |
| surroundings, giving the appearance that the only thing | | | | spontaneous human combustion, however, has been |
| burning was the person. Some versions of the story | | | | disproved. Rather than looking for paranormal |
| specify that only part of the victim's body was | | | | explanations for fire deaths, it is instead better to look |
| completely destroyed, with some parts almost intact. | | | | for concrete, everyday explanations. |
| The eeriness of this phenomenon has given rise to a | | | | If a loved one has died in an apparent case of |
| number of fanciful explanations. Some people pass the | | | | spontaneous human combustion, and no factors like |
| blame onto extraterrestrials and other paranormal | | | | cigarettes or candles are to blame, this person might |
| phenomena. Others look for elaborate | | | | be the tragic victim of a malfunctioning appliance or |
| pseudo-scientific explanations, like bodily electricity | | | | other device. Should fire investigators rule that a |
| igniting intestinal gases. Unfortunately for those looking | | | | dangerous product design or maintenance problem is |
| for otherworldly explanations, nearly all of the details | | | | at fault, you may be able to sue for restitution. |
| common to these stories have a simple, mundane | | | | Any dangerous product that can lead to fire death |
| explanation. | | | | should be taken off the market immediately and those |
| Since at least the 1960s, there has been a theory that | | | | responsible should be brought to justice. A skilled |
| explains the damage patterns observed in supposed | | | | personal injury lawyer can help you find peace of mind |
| cases of spontaneous human combustion. This is | | | | after the tragic loss of a loved one. The experienced |
| known as the wick effect theory: when a person's | | | | Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedman & |
| clothing catches fire due to a cigarette, say, the fire | | | | Bonebrake, PC can help you. Contact them today to |
| eventually melts the person's fat. The clothing then | | | | discuss your case and learn how they can help. |