Man bursts into flames on london street (unexplained)

Charles Dickens was interested in the phenomenon. In Bleak House, Krook, an alcoholic rag-and bottle dealer, spontaneously combusts, filling the room with greasy soot.

a reply to: slider1982

In Great Britain? Base don what I have seen from shows wherein they go after criminals, there are cameras literally everywhere over there, so why can't they review the footage? Seems most likely that someone did something to him to cause this, and that ought to show on video.

originally posted by: slider1982
Well I am finally home,

It seems this is just gaining interest from other sites, I would say if the current reporting is anything to go by then it may well be a case to view as SHC, it seems that eye witnesses have not stated any visable foul play at this point.

PC Damien Ait-Amer, who is investigating the death, said: “We have spoken with a number of witnesses who saw Mr Nolan ablaze, but we have yet to establish how the fire started.

www.standard.co.uk...

The comments about Phones and E-cigs are will need to be addressed but thus far it seems that the authorities have nothing to go on, I would like to think if a smouldering phone or other device was noted at the scene it would be made public.

History does have numerous cases of supposed human combustion only time will tell if this will be added to the list?..

I actually have a few contacts within Haringey where this took place I will start to ask a few questions and
see what comes to light, if it is note worthy and does not cause issues to any investigation I will post up..

ADDED::: Regarding CCTV, Haringey has an absurd amount of cameras, so if this was on a main road, CCTV would exist but I know the camera network in the area "probably" will not be recording unless they are called upon to do so, they tend to capture footage from just after a situation has occurred or as it is developing.

Obviously private CCTV would be another matter..


RA

Well, hopefully you can share some updates. I was wondering about the cameras myself. I won' discount SHC, though; I recall hearing some stories from guys I went to school with, who assisted in volunteer fire fighting. Creepy stuff. Something on camera, if that's the case, could, as already stated in the thread, be useful in finding a cause, perhaps. At the least it would be some solid evidence. Doesn't help that poor fellow, of course, but could maybe help someone else down the road.

Spontaneous human combustion could be real, this story kind of reminds of the patient burned by mid-surgery explosion when laser ignites fart.

a reply to: slider1982

I hate when this happens. Check my post about a lawyer whose pants caught on fire while in court defending a guy whose claim was his lighter caught his house on fire. He was charged as an arsonist. While the attorney was arguing his case his pants caught on fire in the courtroom. Hilarious!

a reply to: tinner07

I've had that feeling myself, a fire deep inside.
It was alcohol getting into an open duodenal ulcer and excruciating pain is the result but I never actually caught fire. Cutting out the drinking cured it fortunately but a good lesson in moderation was learnt

a reply to: slider1982

perhaps he was a bright spark.

Rumor has it he was a former drummer for the band Spinal Tap.

originally posted by: stormcell
When I was a teenager, I'd collect all the mystery books I could find. These had stories about entrances to underground caverns hidden by stones in streambeds, people disappearing as "holes" appeared in the basements of their homes and SHC (Spontaneous Human Combustion). The first two actually happened in modern times. Now we've got a a case of SHC.

First thing with SHC is that people burn from the inside out and that there is a blue flame. When this has happened indoors, the person was in a sealed room with a heat source like a coal or electric fire. The source of internal burning would be in the chest/stomach area. They had also been drinking wine. So a person could have become thirsty, drank some wine, dehydrated a bit more, the alcohol perfuses the body and then begins to be perspired or heat up in the stomach, and then ignite. In cases when the person was outdoors, a blue flame was seen and couldn't be put out easily.

There are various chemicals that burn with a blue flame; Ethanol, Methanol, Isoproyl alcohol. Copper, arsenic and lead also burn with a blue flame. Copper chloride is safe.

Within a single glass of wine, 4oz, there are 25g of ethyl alcohol and 3g of glycerine.

When that burns, that gives off a blue flame. It's quite possible for someone to drink one or two bottles of wine. That could be 12 glasses in total or 300g. That would be enough to make someone's lungs flammable.

I've been flammable more than a few times. lol never burnt up.

Flesh doesn't burn like the SHC cases, even soaked in booze.

They've kinda ruled out the booze hound excuse.

When they find a victim, the feet and or hands are not burned and the body and bones are consumed at cremation temps.

Objects nearby are melted, there are lots of pics out there.

Little smoke given off.

Freaky.

Very sad. Though, I believe this phenomena hasn't been studied enough likely due to it's rarity. Especially due to it hasn't been(horrid way to go) in the presence of witnesses as to the process it goes through. If anything maybe this case can help stop this from happening further if at all possible. Well, besides the common sense warning about not falling asleep with a cigarette in hand(while alcohol in the body), etc., as the cause has been often blamed on that circumstance.

A friend of mine Burst into flames, Severe burns to his abdomen chest and neck area, I'm talking Freddie Krugger degree burns and after scaring here, He told us the filter in his roll up ignited and fell onto his t-shirt which also mysteriously went whooomph...

I dont beleive a word of it, Never pushed him on the official story but we tried to light a filter, in fact we tried to light dozens of them and not one would catch fire. Something else happened yet for some reason he's not going to tell us what it was.

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
A friend of mine Burst into flames, Severe burns to his abdomen chest and neck area, I'm talking Freddie Krugger degree burns and after scaring here, He told us the filter in his roll up ignited and fell onto his t-shirt which also mysteriously went whooomph...

I dont beleive a word of it, Never pushed him on the official story but we tried to light a filter, in fact we tried to light dozens of them and not one would catch fire. Something else happened yet for some reason he's not going to tell us what it was.

Possibly a Richard Pryor incident? (Freebasing c0caine)
I knew an old guy (in his late 70's) that was filling his Zippo lighter, and didn't realize that he overflowed a lot of the fluid onto his flannel shirt and pants. He lit a cigarette with the lighter and burst into flames. He died later from the extensive burns.

originally posted by: butcherguy

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
A friend of mine Burst into flames, Severe burns to his abdomen chest and neck area, I'm talking Freddie Krugger degree burns and after scaring here, He told us the filter in his roll up ignited and fell onto his t-shirt which also mysteriously went whooomph...

I dont beleive a word of it, Never pushed him on the official story but we tried to light a filter, in fact we tried to light dozens of them and not one would catch fire. Something else happened yet for some reason he's not going to tell us what it was.

Possibly a Richard Pryor incident? (Freebasing c0caine)
I knew an old guy (in his late 70's) that was filling his Zippo lighter, and didn't realize that he overflowed a lot of the fluid onto his flannel shirt and pants. He lit a cigarette with the lighter and burst into flames. He died later from the extensive burns.

Yeah, but my friend is lying about something, Freebasing is out of the question. My guess is it was alcohol related. Maybe he fell asleep holding a Spirit of some sort and was smoking at the same time, That could happen to anyone. # happens and it would be nothing to be embarrassed about.

So we are back to the why make up a story that can be proven to be impossible?. He not a stupid guy, Has a good job as a civil servant.

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
A friend of mine Burst into flames, Severe burns to his abdomen chest and neck area, I'm talking Freddie Krugger degree burns and after scaring here, He told us the filter in his roll up ignited and fell onto his t-shirt which also mysteriously went whooomph...

I dont beleive a word of it, Never pushed him on the official story but we tried to light a filter, in fact we tried to light dozens of them and not one would catch fire. Something else happened yet for some reason he's not going to tell us what it was.

Of course, filters are made to be non-flammable but years ago I bought a whole load of cigarets that were supposed to have been brought over from France without paying the tax so this guy was selling them cheap. I was an artist at the time and I used to spend hours and hours painting without stopping and I would smoke a lot. when my ashtray was full I would just smoke down to the filter and then just stand what was left on the table and let it burn down to the filter and it would go out. but these cigs I had bought turned out to be fakes and I don't know what they used for the filters but I was shocked to # when the first one I let burn to the filter just burst into flames and almost caused a fire!!

i also lost my voice for 2 days!! Ive never bought cheap cigs since.

a reply to: PhoenixOD

2 posters said someone did this to the guy...how did they do it?? the police found no trace of flammable fluid to start the guy on fire,,,,yes some of those early cases are do to an ember from dangerous heating back in the day......and some end up with the wicking effect...but this guy is a good case and not easily explained...hope more info is released

a reply to: stormcell
Oh ouch. If that is the case, then it would not be a good thing to be Irish. There like walking ticking time bombs. But ya there is more then a few cases of people just up and spontaneous com-busting, and there love of alcohol.

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
A friend of mine Burst into flames, Severe burns to his abdomen chest and neck area, I'm talking Freddie Krugger degree burns and after scaring here, He told us the filter in his roll up ignited and fell onto his t-shirt which also mysteriously went whooomph...

I dont beleive a word of it, Never pushed him on the official story but we tried to light a filter, in fact we tried to light dozens of them and not one would catch fire. Something else happened yet for some reason he's not going to tell us what it was.

If you look at the sweat patterns on a T-shirt when someone works out (Neck, chest), that would match what you describe. Someone drinks some alcohol, starts to sweat for whatever reason, perspires alcohol or acetone (breakdown chemical), then then the heat from the burning filter ignites it.

originally posted by: muzzleflash
I disagree, it wasn't spontaneous.
It was premeditated, delayed several times, and then finally he decided to combust into flames.

All you have to do is get really mad and hold your breath.

The climax is when you light you're fart.

a reply to: imitator
Strange indeed, the Japanese are not known for there high intake of fatty foods or letting one go, it would be impolite. You would think there would be a lot more patients in America who would be set afire during a surgery because they ate all those burritos hours before the surgery.

Either that or there lasers are a bit more powerful and concentrated then the ones they would use elswere.

You know this just adds one more reason, as to why they tell you not to eat anything 24hrs before any major surgeries, you don't want to pass gas and end up blowing yourself up now would you. That old myth about lighting your farts on fire? Well may not be so myth after all.

Human combustion motor. Primitive technology's.

a reply to: empireoflizards

Acetone. It is naturally produced in the body and is highly flammable. Interestingly, wikipedia also cites 'alcoholism' and diabetes as producing more than normal.

I doubt someone can achieve more than 20mmol/L of acetone in blood while staying on his foot. 20mmol/L represent 1.16g of acetone per liter, a solution of 0.116 wt%. Good luck trying to reach flash point with such dilution at reasonable temperature.

The only rationale explaination for SHC is the wick effect and a freak combination of events. As an example, an average normal male of 1.76m weighing 70kg might have 12kg of TG (fat). This is lot of combustible.