Morticom weird stories of spontaneous human combustion and inexplicable fires

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WEIRD EARTH

SPONTANEOUS
HUMAN COMBUSTION

(31 Entries)

1)
In Paris, France, in 1673, Thomas Bartholin recorded that a 'woman of the people' was mysteriously consumed by fire as she slept on a bed of straw. When she was found, only her head and the ends of her fingers were left, the rest of her body being totally reduced to ashes.

2)
In Rheims, France, in 1725, physician, Claude-Nicolas Le Cat, decided to stay at a local inn. At about 2am, Le Cat and the the rest of the guests at the inn were woken up by the innkeeper, Jean Millet, who reported that he could smell a fire. When the large group arrived in the kitchen, they found where the burning smell was coming from. Lying on the floor next to the fireplace was the innkeeper's wife, Nicole Millet, whose body was totally consumed by fire. All that was left of her were part of her head, her lower limbs and a few vertebrae.
The floor below her body was burnt right through and the chair next to the body was slightly scorched, but the rest of the room seemed not to be touched by the fire whatsoever.
Shortly later, when the police arrived, Millet was arrested on suspicion of murder. At the court case, Millet pleaded not guilty. The prosecution charged Millet with pouring a bottle of liquor over his wife's body, while she was asleep, and then set her on fire.
Millet was found guilty and sentenced to death, but the physician, Le Cat, finally persuaded the court that the fire was not natural, but instead a visitation from God. Millet's sentence was reversed and he was released.

3)
In Verona, Italy, on April 4th, 1731, the Countess Cornelia di Bandi, of Cesena, was overcome by fire, after retiring for the night. She was found almost totally reduced to ashes, by one of her servants. All that remained of her was the bottom half of two legs, still in their stockings, the back of the lady's head with her brains hanging out, the whole of her chin, and three fingers, the rest of her body being reduced to a stinking, greasy ashy substance. All the furniture in the bedroom was not damaged, but were covered with the stinking substance, which even penetrated the inside of a chest of drawers, soiling the linen. Countess di Bandi was known to bathe in Camphorated spirits of wine. Although her death was unexplained, it was thought that she may have been struck by lightning.

4)
In London, England, on January 12th, 1820, Mrs Wright, the mother of a London draper, caught fire in her kitchen. Her son, John Wright, heard her screams, rushed to his mother and found her enveloped in flames. He managed to put these flames out and she was so seriously injured that she was put to bed straight away. After Mrs Wright had gone to sleep again, Mr. Wright again heard his mother screaming, and upon entering her room, found his mother again covered by flames.
Although Mrs Wright was not killed instantly by these mysterious fires, she was hospitalised and later succumbed to her injuries.
Mr. Wright accused a servant girl of causing the fires, but in the end, this was not proven, but it was noticed that once the servant girl left, there were no more reports of fires.

5)
In Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1829, it was reported that a man who had accidentally caught fire to his clothes was helped by his brother, who, whilst putting out the flames, suddenly found his own bare hands on fire. The flames, although extinguished by water constantly, continued for many hours, until eventually, after total immersion in the water, they were finally extinguished.

6)
In Nashville, Tennessee, USA, on January 5th, 1835, Professor James Hamilton was walking down the road, on a very cold winter's day, when he suddenly felt a stinging pain in his right thigh. When he looked down he was surprised to see a bright flame coming from his trouser leg. He immediately slapped the fire without any success then finally managed to extinguish the flame by cupping his hand over the flame and starving it of oxygen. He described the pain as being 'very deep' and when he arrived home he examined the wound instantly. He stated that the wound was about a third of an inch long, resembling an abrasion, livid but dry, very deep and took about a month to heal. When his clothes were examined, there was a hole where the flame emerged, but the surrounding areas were not even scorched. On the inside leg of his trousers he found a dark yellow fuzz which he managed to scrape off with his penknife.

7)
In France, on January 6th, 1847, an elderly gentleman was found, almost entirely consumed by fire, while he was sleeping in his bed. The gentleman's son and daughter in law found him in the morning after checking on him. They stated that when they found the old man there was a small 'whitish' flame playing around his body, which seemed to recede as they moved closer to the body. The bed covers and mattress were totally burnt, but the wooden bed was hardly scorched. A partially burned cravat was found around his neck and part of his night-gown was undamaged. His forearms were only attached to his arms by carbonised tendons, which disintegrated when they were touched. His legs were reduced to small ashes, giving the effect that they had been amputated.
The man's son and daughter in law were charged with his murder but later evidence from a doctor in their defence, in which the doctor stated that the victim had not been burnt deliberately or accidentally, but instead through 'some inherent cause from within the individual', finally persuaded the court to acquit the couple.

8)
In Ottawa, Illinois, USA, on the 24th December, 1885, Mr. Patrick Rooney, his wife, son and a hired hand, John Larson, were celebrating the holidays, drinking whisky, when Patrick Rooney went to bed early.
The following morning, Larson rose early, struck a match to light the stove, and found it covered in a greasy soot. When he investigated, he found the remains of Patrick Rooney sitting dead in his chair. He left immediately and raised the alarm.
When Larson arrived back at the ranch, accompanied by John Rooney, they found what remained of Mrs Rooney inside a three foot by four foot burnt hole in the floor. All that remained of Mrs Rooney were a piece of her charred skull, two charred vertebrae, a foot and a small pile of ashes.
No other part of the floor or furniture was burnt or even scorched apart from the corner of a tablecloth which was hanging over the burnt hole, and was only scorched.
The police eventually arrived and immediately arrested Larson, but they could not find any case against him.
Dr. Floyd Clemens pointed out to the jury that it was a classic case of spontaneous combustion, a body being found totally burnt to ashes in the absence of any fire.
Mr Patrick Rooney himself died by asphyxiation, caused by the intense fumes of his wife's burning body.

9)
In Colchester, England, on February 19th, 1888, an old soldier climbed into a hayloft to sleep for the night after getting drunk. He was found later the next day, completely consumed by fire, most of his body being reduced to ashes, although there was highly flammable hay all around him, both loose and in bundles, none of which was even scorched.

10)
In Ayer, Massachusetts, USA, on May 12th 1890, Dr. Hartwell was beckoned by a small child to help his mother. When the doctor finally reached the child's mother in a clearing of a small wood, he found her in a crouched position with flames blazing from her shoulders, abdomen, and legs.
Dr Hartwell found no evidence that she had set herself alight, and as far as he could tell the woman had just burst into flames. The doctor eventually managed to put the flames out by throwing earth onto the woman's badly burnt body.

11)
In Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England, in December, 1904, Reverend Custance said that there were objects in the rectory that kept being hurled around and sometimes causing small fires.
A month later a local farmer walked into the kitchen and saw a servant girl sweeping the floor, seemingly unaware that there were flames leaping from her back. The farmer rushed to her aid and put out the flames, although the servant girl was still badly burnt.

12)
In Southampton, England, on the 26th February, 1905, a retired couple were both found burnt to death. Mr. John Kiley was discovered lying on the floor totally consumed by fire and his wife was found sitting in an easy chair in the same room, badly charred but recognisable. The easy chair in which Mrs Kiley was sitting was not even singed. A jury brought a verdict of 'accidental death, but by what means we are unable to say.'

13)
In Dinapor, India, in 1907, the burned corpse of a woman was found in her home by two constables, her corpse still smouldering in unscorched clothing.
The constables reported that there had been no fire in the room where the body was found.

14)
In Whitley Bay, England, on the 22nd March, 1908, two retired school teachers were involved in a 'sensational' accident case.
Margaret Dewar alerted her neighbours that she had found her sister burnt to death. When the neighbours entered the house, they found the charred body of Wilhelmina Dewar lying on her bed. It was noted that the sheets and bed showed no signs whatsoever of fire.
At the trial, the coroner refused to accept the idea of spontaneous combustion and threatened Margaret with perjury unless another explanation was found. Margaret, under intense pressure, then admitted to lying, and explained that what actually happened was that she had found Wilhelmina on fire, but still alive, on the ground floor of the house, and that she had managed to put the flames out. Margaret then helped her sister up to bed, where she eventually died. This satisfied the coroner, who then pronounced a verdict of accidental death.

15)
In Antigua, British West Indies, in August 1929, a woman was reported to constantly ignite suddenly, without any apparent cause, but she was always unharmed. She would wake up in the morning with her bedsheets scorched or burnt but not even a hair on her body singed.
This report was corroborated by her neighbours who had helped her replace many items of furniture that had been consumed by fire.

16)
In Bladenboro, North Carolina, USA, in January 1932, the cotton dress of Mrs Williamson suddenly caught fire for no apparent reason. Her husband, Charles, and her daughter tore the dress off her, noticing that not any one of them was even slightly burnt.
Soon after this incident Mr Williamson's trousers caught fire while they were hanging in the wardrobe, then a bed caught fire in another empty room as well as a pair of curtains. Various items were found burning in a 'bluish jet-like flame' but no other adjacent objects were damaged at all. No smoke or smell was witnessed, and it was impossible to extinguish the flames.
Special investigators were at a loss for an explanation, when after five days the fires just suddenly stopped as they had begun. It is still a mystery

17)
In Norfolk, England, on July 29th, 1938, Mrs Mary Carpenter was holidaying on a cabin cruiser when she spontaneously combusted in front of her husband and children. It was reported that she was engulfed by flames and reduced to a charred corpse in a matter of minutes. No one else was burnt and the boat was undamaged. The investigating officer stated, "I cannot understand how it happened."

18)
In Chelmsford, England, on August 27th, 1938, 22 year old Phyllis Newcombe burst into flames in the middle of a local dance hall. She was just leaving the dance floor when her dress suddenly flared up and within seconds she was blazing mass of blue flames. Her fiancée attempted to beat the flames out with his bare hands, but Phyllis was fatally burnt before the ambulance arrived. The case remained unsolved.

19)
In London, England, in January 1939, 11 month old Peter Seaton was found in his cot in an inferno of blazing flames, strong enough to push back a rescuer, who had heard him screaming. After the firemen had put the flames out, investigators revealed that nothing was found that could have caused the fire. What was especially remarkable was that the surrounding furniture was hardly damaged.

20)
In Deer Island, Maine, USA, on January 13th, 1943, Mr Allan Small, aged 52, was found totally consumed by fire at his home. The carpet underneath the body was scorched, but no other damage was found anywhere else in the house.
The kitchen stove lids were all in place and Mr. Small's pipe was still resting on it's shelf.

21)
In Manchester, New Hampshire, on December 15th, 1949, Mrs Ellen Coutres was found burned to death in the room of her house. Her horrible, fire consumed body was found lying on the floor in an unscorched room. The fireplace had not been used and no other source of fire could be found.
The newspapers release said, "There was no sign of fire....the woman must have been a human torch, but no flames had ignited any of the wooden structures of the house."

22)
In St. Petersberg, Florida, on July the 1st, 1951, Mrs Mary Reeser, 67, was found almost totally destroyed by fire in a chair in her bedroom. A charred area, about 4 feet in diameter, was in the middle of the floor, inside which a number of blackened chair springs, a charred liver attached to a piece of spine, her shrunken skull, one foot still wearing a black satin slipper and a small pile of ashes.
When the landlady entered the room she found that the door knob was boiling hot but inside the room there was no smoke and only a small flame on a wooden beam above the remains of the body. There was a smelly, oily soot covering most of the room almost exactly 4 feet from the floor all round, a wall mirror had cracked, two candles had melted, plastic electric wall outlets were melted slightly and an electric clock was found, stopped at precisely 04:20am.

23)
In Algiers, Louisiana, USA, on September the 18th, 1952, a resident of an apartment block telephoned the fire brigade when she saw smoke coming from the apartment above her.
When the firemen arrived and forced the door, they found the burning body of man in the living room. They quickly put the fire out by smothering it with a blanket.
Police officer Louis Wattingney later stated, "The man was lying on the floor behind the door and he was in a mass of flames. Not another blessed thing in the room was burning. He was dead. I don't know what caused the fire to burn so hot. He could have been saturated with some kind of oil. I did not smell anything, however. In all my experience I never saw anything to beat this."
The victim, Mr. Denny, was a non-smoker and no matches or flammable liquids were found. Strangely, before Denny had collapsed, both his wrists had been cut, severing major arteries and there was a pool of blood and a knife in the kitchen. Denny had recently been depressed and when last seen, was said to have the 'shakes'.
The final verdict stated that Denny had cut his own wrists and then burned himself to death. This totally contradicted the evidence. How could a man, rapidly losing blood from five deep cuts to his wrists, walk from the kitchen to the living room, drench himself with kerosene that was never detected, from a can that was never found, and then set himself alight with a non existent match?

24)
In Greenville, South Carolina, on March the 1st, 1953, the 'crisped black' body of Mr Waymon Wood was found in the front seat of his locked car. Although little remained of Waymon Wood, the car was unaffected, apart from the windscreen, which had sagged and bubbled due to the intense heat.

25)
In Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, in December 1956, Mr. Young Sik Kim, a 78 year old cripple was found enveloped in a bluish flame by his next door neighbour. The heat was so intense that the neighbour could not even approach him. Later when the firemen arrived, Mr Sik Kim, and the chair he had been sat in, were totally reduced to ashes. All that remained of him were his feet, which were still propped up on his wheelchair from when he was relaxing. Nothing else in the room was damaged, not even the curtains or clothing nearby.

26)
In Rockford, Illinois, in the spring of 1959, four month old Ricky Pruitt was found burned to death in his crib, with no clues as to how it happened. Strangely, the clothes that he was wearing showed no scorch marks and the bedding of his crib suffered no damage, although he had been reduced to a blackened corpse.

27)
In London, England, in the late 1950's, 19 year old Maybelle Andrews was dancing with her boyfriend, Billy Clifford in a discothèque, when she suddenly burst into flames on her back and head, igniting her hair. Many of the bystanders attempted to put out the flames, but they could not save her and she died on the way to hospital.
Clifford stated, "I saw no one smoking on the dance floor, there were no candles on the tables and I did not see her dress catch fire from anything. I know it sounds incredible, but it appeared to me that the flames burst outwards, as if they originated in her body."
Many other witnesses agreed with this. The final verdict on her death was 'Death by misadventure, caused by a fire of unknown origin'.

28)
In Pontiac, Michigan, USA, on December 13th, 1959, 30 year old Billy Peterson was found dead, the victim of a suspected suicide. When he was discovered the seat where the exhaust pipe had been bent to lead into the car was smoldering. Peterson's body was found several feet away from the smoldering upholstery. His body was taken to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead of carbon monoxide poisoning.
What could not be explained however were the third degree burns on his back, legs and arms and the seared condition of nose, throat and lungs.
Peterson's clothes and undergarments were in no way damaged and unsinged hairs still stuck up through the charred skin.

29)
In Dallas, Texas, USA, in October 1964, Mrs. Olga Stephens was sitting in her parked car when she suddenly burst into flames. She was fatally burned before anybody could come to her rescue. The firemen on the scene stated that the car was not damaged at all and nothing could be found to account for the fire starting.

30)
In Coudersport, Pennsylvania, USA, 92 year old Mr. Irving Bentley, an invalid, was found burnt and reduced to ashes in his bathroom by a visiting gas meter reader by the name of Don Gosnell. Gosnell first entered the basement to read the meter when he noticed a light blue smoke of unusual odour. When he looked around he noticed a pile of ashes in the corner, enough to fill a bucket. He then looked above and saw a hole in the floorboards above him. He then read the meter and went upstairs to see if everything was all right. When he entered the bathroom he saw a gory sight. Bentley's walker was tilted over the burned hole in the floorboards and along side of him lay what remained of Bentley himself. All that was left was his right leg from the knee down, brown but not charred.
One theory on how he died was that his robe had somehow caught fire, then he had used his walker to get to the bathroom to put the flames out. The problem with this theory was that even if his robe did catch fire how did it generate enough heat to have reduced Bentley's body to ashes without damaging anything else in the bathroom and also if the fire started in another room why was there no evidence found? The coroners final verdict gave asphyxiation and 90% burning as the cause of death.

31)
In Birmingham, England, in 1973, 7 month old Parvinder Kaur suddenly burst into flames in his parent's living room. He was treated for burns at the local hospital, but experts were unable to determine the cause of the fire.
Also in Birmingham, in 1974, 6 month old Lisa Tipton was found burned to death in an unexplained fire confined to only one room of the house.