# Spontaneous human combustion
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spontaneous-human-combustion/666465
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 17, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spontaneous-human-combustion/666465 "2013-08-17T00:56:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spontaneous-human-combustion/666465/1 "2013-08-17T00:56:52Z")
I have long been a skeptical-type person, and accounts of spontaneous human combustion have always seemed completely ludicrous. But these cases have given me pause.
First, there is the [shocking story](http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/fire-baby-three-month-old-infant-tamil-nadu-burn-injuries-rare-condition/1/298938.html) of an Indian infant who catches fire spontaneously and has experienced “10 degree burns”. Brian Eno [eerily anticipated this case](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMt1Oy5uQ0w) in one of his early albums.
Then we have the horrific account of a Baton Rouge man who [gruesomely exploded in a fireball](http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/improperly-performed-acupuncture-linked-to-spontaneous-human-combustion/).
If we can’t prove these incidents did not occur, obviously we must accept them.
And please, no flaming.
---
### Author:  [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spontaneous-human-combustion/666465/2 "2013-08-17T00:58:31Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#):
>
> I have long been a skeptical-type person, and accounts of spontaneous human combustion have always seemed completely ludicrous. But these cases have given me pause.
>
> First, there is the [shocking story](http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/fire-baby-three-month-old-infant-tamil-nadu-burn-injuries-rare-condition/1/298938.html) of an Indian infant who catches fire spontaneously and has experienced “10 degree burns”. Brian Eno [eerily anticipated this case](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMt1Oy5uQ0w) in one of his early albums.
>
> Then we have the horrific account of a Baton Rouge man who [gruesomely exploded in a fireball](http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/improperly-performed-acupuncture-linked-to-spontaneous-human-combustion/).
>
> If we can’t prove these incidents did not occur, obviously we must accept them.
>
> And please, no flaming.
I see what you did there.
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### Author:  [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2013, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spontaneous-human-combustion/666465/3 "2013-08-17T01:05:08Z")
Jesus.
> [@](#):
>
> “We have only the mother’s version. The baby has to be carefully observed. We have to investigate whether the ailment is genetic. We will carry out tests to find out the kind of gases generated by the baby,” Jayachandran said.
I can answer that - no, Munchausen’s by proxy is not genetic (though it certainly affects whole families).
As for the Baton Rouge Fireball:
[QUOTE=The Blogger]
Okay, I made this up.
[/QUOTE]
Was there a point to this?
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### Author:  [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2013, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spontaneous-human-combustion/666465/4 "2013-08-17T02:10:53Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#):
>
> If we can’t prove these incidents did not occur, obviously we must accept them.
>
> And please, no flaming.
The second post is a parody piece…tried citing the onion lately?
I was under the impression you were an MD or some flavor of licensed medical professional with more than enough science education under your belt to understand that many of the alleged SHC events are easily explained by improperly handled smoking materials and wicking effects.
1 in 4 fire related deaths are already attributed to improperly disposed of smoking materials. The likelihood of this being an obscure phenomenon vs a fire death where the source of ignition was destroyed or otherwise obfuscated by the fire, is almost zero.
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### Author:  [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2013, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spontaneous-human-combustion/666465/5 "2013-08-17T02:39:40Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#):
>
> If we can’t prove these incidents did not occur, obviously we must accept them.
This is obviously a joke/parody thread, but… I’m not sure I get it.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spontaneous-human-combustion/666465/6 "2013-08-17T03:48:48Z")
Obviously I should have listened to my mama and become a con man\*, instead of disgracing the family by studying medicine and battling woo in my spare time.
\*It’s still an attractive idea - why work 60+ hour weeks in pathology when I could be selling stock in Asian worm farms and getting people to send me $200 for one weird trick to eliminate nose cancer, jock itch and terminal credulity. :rolleyes: