The second major type of SHC is the non-fatal cases. The victims usually don't know anymore than the investigators do. The good thing about this is that the victims are alive to tell about what happened and cause most SHC skeptics to take a look at the picture again.
Non-fatal cases usually incorporate one or more of the following features. The most common is the mysterious flames. This is where a victim will just begin to emit flames form their body. Some victims claim they feel heat while others don't.
The second feature is the mysterious smoke in which a victim will begin to give off smoke form their bodies. With these cases there is no source of flame or source of smoke other than the victim's body.
The third and final trait is the puzzling burns. In these cases victims develop burns on their skin for no apparent reason. These strange occurrences usually start as a small discomfort and slowly evolve into larger painful wounds.
The most accredited case was a fatal one in 1951. The victim's name was Mary Reeser who was 67 at the time. She was found in her apartment on the morning of July 2, 1951, reduced to a pile of ashes, a skull, and a completely undamaged left foot. You can see a picture of fire officials sifting trough her remains on the following page. This incident has become the foundation for many books and believers in the paranormal side of SHC. Michael Harrison's Fire From Heaven, printed in 1976, has become the standard reference book on spontaneous human combustion.
Another very recognized case is the one of Dr. J Irving Bentley,92, of Coudersport, Pennsylvania. He was found as ashes, on December 5, 1966. His body apparently ignited while he was in the bathroom and burned a 2.5 foot by 3 foot hole through the flooring, with only a portion of one leg remaining. There's a picture of the incident on page four.
The physical possibility of SHC is little to none. The human body is mostly made up of water and the only thing that really burns readily is the human fat and methane.
