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Post by sadie1263 on Feb 21, 2013 4:35:43 GMT
By Marc Lallanilla LiveScience Did an Oklahoma man die of spontaneous combustion? Sheriff Ron Lockhart of Sequoyah County hasn't yet determined that the death of 65-year-old Danny Vanzandt was definitely a case of spontaneous combustion — but he hasn't ruled it out, either. "It's very unusual, and it's bizarre, andI can't explain it," Lockhart told KFSM. "I'm not saying this happened. I'm just saying that we haven't ruled it out." Vanzandt's brother discovered the victim in the kitchen and immediately called 911, according to KFSM. Fire crews found a badly burned body, but no fire damage to nearby furniture or other items. There were no signs of a break-in, a struggle or any other cause of death. Spontaneous combustion has long been the stuff of legend, but some researchers believe it's possible, though rare. In 2011, a coroner in Ireland ruled that the death of 76-year-old Michael Faherty was the result of spontaneous human combustion, or SHC. For any item to combust, it needs at least two things: a source of ignition and fuel for a fire. In many alleged cases of SHC, the victims were smokers or were near open flames like candles or a burning fireplace. And the fuel for SHC might come from the victims themselves. Fat will burn, and fatty tissue is often located directly beneath the skin. Clothing or hair can act as candle wicks, according to researcher Joe Nickell, who investigated several such cases in his book, "Real-Life X-Files" (University Press of Kentucky, 2001). Alcohol abuse is an additional factor in many cases of spontaneous combustion, either because it causes the victims to "pass out" or sleep soundly, or because alcohol itself is flammable. According to KFSM, Vanzandt was a heavy drinker and a heavy smoker who also had "poor hygiene" and no running water in his house at the time of his death. Investigators also noted that Vanzandt had burn marks in his trachea, indicating he may have inhaled a considerable amount of smoke and carbon monoxide, which can cause a person to lose consciousness and, in high concentrations, can be deadly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though the term "spontaneous combustion" sounds like a sudden burst of flames, Lockhart told KFSM the body appeared to have burned for up to 10 hours. Vanzandt's remains have been sent to the Oklahoma medical examiner's office in Tulsa, which will determine the cause of death. science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/20/17032963-spontaneous-combustion-looked-at-as-cause-of-oklahoma-death?lite
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Post by Hunny on Feb 21, 2013 8:58:34 GMT
They really ought to rename that. I mean "spontaneous human combustion" refers to an old idea that occasionally people would ignite and burn up very quickly and without cause that we understand. That's what the term was coined to describe. But now we know that if you spill a drink on yourself and light it, that's enough to start the fat in your body burning, and like a candle - well, as the article said - it will burn "for 10 hours". It will burn till there's nothing left but your feet sometimes.
Another example of fat 'wicking' is if you've ever lit a walnut on fire: the nut itself isn't what burns, it only acts as a wick while the fat in it burns like kerosine in a lamp (or "paraffin").
So the message is clear: humans are combustible! Do not expose to an open flame!
And this poor guy... had smoke in his lungs, so he was on fire - not his clothes, his body was burning - and he was there to breathe the smoke from it. ...Wow, talk about an alcoholic! How drunk do you have to be to catch on fire and not wake up!
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Post by sadie1263 on Feb 21, 2013 14:42:22 GMT
Wow.....that is quite a picture you describe......yuck.............
I actually think in my younger years I did drink that much one time.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2013 14:55:43 GMT
What a horrible death.
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Post by Hunny on Feb 22, 2013 13:41:02 GMT
Wow.....that is quite a picture you describe......yuck............. I actually think in my younger years I did drink that much one time. I never have.
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Post by sadie1263 on Feb 22, 2013 21:27:40 GMT
Oh gosh Hunny..........you're pants are on fire!!!!
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Post by Hunny on Feb 22, 2013 22:29:13 GMT
Oh no!
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