• Question: What causes spontaneous human combustion? Is it real?

    Asked by merlyn to Hitesh, Hywel, Mae, Nik, Tiffany on 13 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Tiffany Taylor

      Tiffany Taylor answered on 13 Jun 2012:

      I don’t think so, but I guess it could be possible. I hope not! Come to think of it, it is warm in here!

    • Photo: Hywel Owen

      Hywel Owen answered on 13 Jun 2012:

      Spontaneous human combustion – in other words, the ignition of a person without a separate source of flame – is almost certainly a myth. However, slow human combustion (the so-called ‘wick effect’) is probably real. It’s pretty gross, but the idea is that a human body can behave like a candle in certain circumstances, due to the fat near the body’s surface being drawn into clothing.

      A particular circumstance where human combustion can occur is thought to be if someone dies in their sleep, and their is a flame source nearby – for example a candle or a lit cigarette. But what is much more dangerous is falling asleep with a naked flame alight in your house – you can be overcome by smoke in your sleep. So blow out those candles at night!

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