spontaneous human combustion (SHC)

"The Legend: For as yet scientifically unknown reasons, times occur when an unsuspecting person can just burst into flames and be incinerated. The flames begin within the victim's own body and are horribly complete in their work, reducing their human fuel to a pile of ashes in minutes -- sometimes seconds. The whole event is so quick and selective that objects near the victim show only minor heat damage, if any at all; sometimes, even the victim's clothes are left untouched.
These inner flames have been occurring for as long as mankind has existed; but most coroners, pathologists, scientists, and fire officials ignore such evidence, blithely choosing much neater and less controversial explanations for these unexplained deaths". (Anomalies)

d. spontaneous combustion: the burning of a substance (or mass) from heat generated within itself;
see SPONTANEOUS

spontaneous, a.
b. spontaneous combustion, the fact of taking fire, or burning away, through conditions produced within the substance itself;

(From "The Compact OED") - It is a great reference tool. I have it!

---

Read what the Skeptics have to say about SHC, At The Skeptic's Dictionary (over 400 skeptical definitions and essays on occult, paranormal, supernatural and pseudoscientific ideas and practices with references to the best skeptical literature).

---

Investigative Files: Not-So-Spontaneous Human Combustion, By Joe Nickell
[Burning Issue @ Alternative Science] [ParanormalAtoZ.com ]
www.castleofspirits.com/shc.html **Warning: Contains graphic pictures