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First Irish case of death by spontaneous combustion

A man who burned to death in his home died as a result of spontaneous combustion, an Irish coroner has ruled.

It is believed to be the first case of its kind in Ireland.

West Galway coroner Dr Ciaran McLoughlin said it was the first time in 25 years of investigating deaths that he had returned such a verdict.

Michael Faherty, 76, died at his home at Clareview Park, Ballybane, Galway on 22 December 2010.

An inquest in Galway on Thursday heard how investigators had been baffled as to the cause of death.

Forensic experts found a fire in the fireplace of the sitting room where the badly burnt body was found had not been the cause of the blaze that killed Mr Faherty.

The court was told that no trace of an accelerant had been found and there had been nothing to suggest foul play.

The court heard Mr Faherty had been found lying on his back with his head closest to an open fireplace.

The fire had been confined to the sitting room. The only damage was to the body, which was totally burnt, the ceiling above him and the floor underneath him.

Dr McLoughlin said he had consulted medical textbooks and carried out other research in an attempt to find an explanation.

He said Professor Bernard Knight, in his book on forensic pathology, had written about spontaneous combustion and noted that such reported cases were almost always near an open fireplace or chimney.

"This fire was thoroughly investigated and I'm left with the conclusion that this fits into the category of spontaneous human combustion, for which there is no adequate explanation," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15032614

maximus otter
 
Is this the first time SHC has been specifically named as the cause of death?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15032614

A man who burned to death in his home died as a result of spontaneous combustion, an Irish coroner has ruled.

It is believed to be the first case of its kind in Ireland.

West Galway coroner Dr Ciaran McLoughlin said it was the first time in 25 years of investigating deaths that he had returned such a verdict.

Michael Faherty, 76, died at his home at Clareview Park, Ballybane, Galway on 22 December 2010.

An inquest in Galway on Thursday heard how investigators had been baffled as to the cause of death.

Forensic experts found a fire in the fireplace of the sitting room where the badly burnt body was found had not been the cause of the blaze that killed Mr Faherty.

The court was told that no trace of an accelerant had been found and there had been nothing to suggest foul play.

The court heard Mr Faherty had been found lying on his back with his head closest to an open fireplace.

The fire had been confined to the sitting room. The only damage was to the body, which was totally burnt, the ceiling above him and the floor underneath him.

Dr McLoughlin said he had consulted medical textbooks and carried out other research in an attempt to find an explanation.

He said Professor Bernard Knight, in his book on forensic pathology, had written about spontaneous combustion and noted that such reported cases were almost always near an open fireplace or chimney.

"This fire was thoroughly investigated and I'm left with the conclusion that this fits into the category of spontaneous human combustion, for which there is no adequate explanation," he said.
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Just seen this post on the BBC website. Funnily enough I was just the other day thinking there hasn't been an SHC case reported for years, and whether that was in any way significant (i.e. the coroners had simply gotten better at finding out why people had burned so weren't logging cases anymore).

I am reminded of the theory that it's caused by ball lightning. Which has been reported to fly down chinmeys...
 
See, that would explain why Santa didn't visit me last year.
 
'First Irish case' of death by spontaneous combustion

A man who burned to death in his home died as a result of spontaneous combustion, an Irish coroner has ruled.
It is believed to be the first case of its kind in Ireland.
West Galway coroner Dr Ciaran McLoughlin said it was the first time in 25 years of investigating deaths that he had recorded such a verdict.

Michael Faherty, 76, died at his home at Clareview Park, Ballybane, Galway on 22 December 2010.
Deaths attributed by some to "spontaneous combustion" occur when a living human body is burned without an apparent external source of ignition.
Typically police or fire investigators find burned corpses but no burned furniture.

An inquest in Galway on Thursday heard how investigators had been baffled as to the cause of Mr Faherty's death.
Forensic experts found that a fire in the fireplace of the sitting room where the badly burnt body was found, had not been the cause of the blaze that killed Mr Faherty.
The court was told that no trace of an accelerant had been found and there had been nothing to suggest foul play.

The court heard Mr Faherty had been found lying on his back with his head closest to an open fireplace.
The fire had been confined to the sitting room. The only damage was to the body, which was totally burnt, the ceiling above him and the floor underneath him.

Dr McLoughlin said he had consulted medical textbooks and carried out other research in an attempt to find an explanation.
He said Professor Bernard Knight, in his book on forensic pathology, had written about spontaneous combustion and noted that such reported cases were almost always near an open fireplace or chimney.

"This fire was thoroughly investigated and I'm left with the conclusion that this fits into the category of spontaneous human combustion, for which there is no adequate explanation," he said.

Retired professor of pathology Mike Green said he had examined one suspected case in his career.
He said he would not use the term spontaneous combustion, as there had to be some source of ignition, possibly a lit match or cigarette.
"There is a source of ignition somewhere, but because the body is so badly destroyed the source can't be found," he said.
He said the circumstances in the Galway case were very similar to other possible cases.
"This is the picture which is described time and time again," he said.
"Even the most experienced rescue worker or forensic scientist takes a sharp intake of breath (when they come across the scene)."

Mr Green said he doubted explanations centred on divine intervention.
"I think if the heavens were striking in cases of spontaneous combustion then there would be a lot more cases. I go for the practical, the mundane explanation," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15032614
 
I'll always remember an interview with a French coroner after he'd investigated a case there, the interviewer asked f he'd considered SHC at which point he replied that it was only in countries like the UK and US that people believed in such things. In France he said we just solve the problem, which in that case he did.

If the man is found burned something set him alight, there's no mechanism in the human body to do it spontaneously. Time for West Galway to get a new coroner.
 
IIRC, in the US the Coroner can pass a verdict of 'Fire of Unknown Origin', which perhaps sounds a little more realistic. Saying that it's SHC seems to be jumping the gun somewhat.
 
Did this happen on the day when CERN were firing neutrinos about the globe?
Just wondering aloud.
 
The 'wick effect' is a great example of the most egregious kind of non-rational 'rational' explanations. Even as a theory it completely fails to explain any of the key factors of SHC (often very short burning-time, almost complete consumption of the body and calcining of bones, and apparent extreme heat without ignition of nearby inflammables). In experiment it failed almost every test, unless the experimenters blatantly cheated by adding accelerants.

Scientifically it has been disproved as a theory. And yet it's still touted, by many of our greatest bastions of science, as the last word in rational thinking on the subject.

I tell ya, the word 'rational' has lost its meaning and become a synonym for 'culturally acceptable'.
 
True enough, I don't think I've heard any thoroughly satisfying explanations yet.
 
I think the wick thing might explain some of the less odd cases, actually. The ones where an alcoholic smoker dozes off with a fag in the hand while wrapped in all their woollen clothes because they've spent all their money on booze rather than heating. Very sad. Glad I've given up smoking.

But the more spectacular cases, no.

And yes, AngelAlice, you are dead right about 'rational' now meaning 'culturally acceptable'. Moreover, 'culturally acceptable' to a particular class of people. :hmph:
 
I like your outlook Angelalice. You should have an 'audience' with James Randi.
 
The irony there is that the 'rational' and scientific view used to be on the side of the people who believed in a supernatural or mysterious explanation for SHC.

Before Horizon did their porcine pyro practical, whenever the subject was discussed it would invariably be claimed that it must be something we didn;t understand and scientists would be quoted on the temperatures needed to render down a human body to that degree and how it was unachievable outside of an incinerator with air being forced through it.

Quite a good example in itself of how wrong experts can sometimes be.
 
An Irishman's Diary
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opi ... 48729.html
CONOR BRADY

Tue, Nov 22, 2011

THE coroner for West Galway, Dr Ciaran McLoughlin, recently returned a verdict of “sponaneous human combustion” in the case of an elderly man who had died in a fire at his home near Ballybane.

In 25 years, the coroner said, he had never before encountered this rare phenomenon. It prompted me to dig in my files from my early days in The Irish Times newsroom.

It was early 1970. I was “evening town reporter” which entailed telephoning the gardaí and the fire brigade at intervals to see if anything of significance was astir.

Sgt Tom O’Reilly at the Bridewell told me, “We’ve got a case of spontaneous human combustion down in Stoneybatter.”

“Of course you have. And there’s a couple of spaceships too.”

“It’s not a joke. It’s a rare phenomenon. If you know your Dickens it occurs in Bleak House .” (Tom was something of a polymath. He went on to be deputy commissioner.) Half an hour later I was at the house in Prussia Street. All that remained of an elderly lady was a long mound of fine ash with her two feet virtually untouched at the end.

The carpet underneath and the chair in which she had been sitting were scorched yet not burned. But the melted television screen, 10 feet away, was evidence of intense heat. There was an electric fire. But there was no fire path between this and where the woman had died.

None of the professionals could identify any fire source. But the incineration of the victim would have required a temperature of perhaps 1,000 degrees, it was reckoned by the fire officer.

I went back to the office and talked to our medical correspondent, David Nowlan. David, being a good doctor, was sceptical. He suggested that I should telephone the city coroner, Prof Paddy Bofin.

Bofin was sceptical too. But he wanted to know more. Was there evidence of intense heat but little flame? Yes. Was the destruction of body tissue almost total? Yes. Did I, by any chance, notice the presence of smuts or fatty deposits on smooth surfaces in the room? Yes, the place was covered with them.

Bofin whooped with delight.

“Mr Brady, you’ve given me the most splendid news. I have a wager with the Coroner for the City of Westminster, Gavin Thurston, that whichever of us gets an authenticated case of this, the other will stand him a champagne dinner!”

“It sounds as if you’ve won your wager,” I said. “I hope you enjoy your dinner.”

“I will, indeed. And furthermore, Mr Brady, if this case turns out to be genuine, I will invite you as my guest.” And so, for one short hour and sweet, it seemed I had the world at my feet. I had an exclusive story and I was going to a champagne dinner with a pair of eminent practitioners in forensic medicine and jurisprudence.

It started to go pear-shaped later in the evening after I had typed up my report and handed it over to the deputy news editor, the doughty Gerry Mulvey. He didn’t believe it at first. So I took him through my notes. Still somewhat sceptical, he consulted the chief sub editor, Noel Fee.

Fee wouldn’t have believed the Lord’s Prayer from the lips of the Saviour himself. This nonsense was not going into The Irish Times . Then Donal Foley, the news editor, came in from a reception somewhere. Fee consulted Foley with whom his relations were, at best, strained. I think Foley saw a trap. He opted to hold it. He would talk to the editor, Douglas Gageby, in the morning.

And so my exclusive went into the newspaper limbo known as “over-matter”, in which stories were notionally kept alive but from which nothing ever escaped. As Bram Stoker might have put it, they became un-dead. I think Foley probably forgot all about it.

A few days later, still nursing my grievance, Gageby called me into his office and told me he was sending me to Vietnam, via Moscow and Peking with Sean MacBride. I quickly forgot about smuts and fatty deposits and elderly ladies vanishing in temperatures of 1,000 degrees.

At the end of May, Paddy Bofin returned a verdict of death by misadventure at an inquest into the death in Prussia Street. The Irish Times reported it under the anodyne heading (albeit in capitals) “MYSTERY OF WOMAN’S DEATH IN FIRE” with a sub-heading (lower case) “rare phenomenon theory”. I do not know if Paddy Bofin ever got his champagne dinner out of Gavin Thurston. My invitation never arrived so I suspect that the pledge was never fulfilled.

But wearing my current hat as Garda Ombudsman Commissioner I had the pleasure of dining with Ireland’s coroners at their annual conference in Ennis in October. They turned out to be a hospitable and lively group, notwithstanding the somewhat sombre associations of their office.

I talked with Ciaran McLoughlin. The phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion occurs and is undeniable, he agreed. There can be many explanations for the source of fire. The mystery is how the extraordinarily high temperature occurs without a complete conflagration.

Paddy Bofin and Gavin Thurston have passed on. So too have Gerry Mulvey, David Nowlan, Noel Fee, Donal Foley and Douglas Gageby. I wish they were around so that I could crow a bit about my exclusive and maybe even enjoy that champagne dinner.
 
Just found this.
Cambridge professor comes up with new findings on SHC:

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Hom...kling-on-human-combustion-theory-21082012.htm

Professor's breakthrough on human combustion theory

A Cambridge professor has tackled the issue of spontaneous combustion – using belly pork.
Prof Brian J Ford is a research biologist and author of more than 30 books, most about cell biology and microscopy but he has turned his attention to the mechanisms behind why people ‘explode’.

More text at link.
 
Now it's classed as a medical condition, according to that article.
 
Works now. Neat.
 
One of the comments to the Cambridge News item asserts that ketosis was one of the effects of the Atkins Diet, which is now considered very unhealthy. I remember hearing about it at the time. The popularity of that diet must have created more human acetone than any other medical condition but there was no epidemic of SHC as I recall.

The Professor mentions low-fat diets as a cause of ketosis but the Atkins Diet was high in fat. Wikipedia suggests ketosis is induced by lack of carbohydrates.

Perhaps the condition can arise from either imbalance but it is seems an odd omission. :?:
 
Years ago, I lost weight on the Cambridge Diet, and well, my breath and poo started to smell like acetone. If I'd gone on any longer, I might have gone up in flames...
 
There's an update showing lower down the page:

An 18-year-old mother who ran out of her home engulfed in flames died in a tragic accident, a coroner has found, despite the best efforts of a passing driver to save her.

Rachel Oye-Osei, of 86 Linkway in Raynes Park, had a history of mental health problems and appears to have been playing with a lighter and flammable hand sanitising gel while sitting on a mattress in her backyard when her coat caught on fire.

Westminster Coroner's Court heard today that after standing up, the university student then ran out of the building, leaving a trail of burnt clothing behind her.

Michael Crawley, of Carshalton, was driving along West Barnes Lane at about 12.45am on Sunday, December 29, to collect his daughter from an office Christmas party when he saw a person running very fast along the pavement in front of him who appeared to be emitting fire sparks before turning into a ball of orange flames.

Linky-poo

Alcohol based hand sanitiser seems like a very inadequate explanation for what is described, even if you had a lot on you, most alcohol based products burn cool with a blue or pale flame.
 
.....or the flipside!

Improving technology means that we can now offer explanations to cases that used to be labelled SHC.
 
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