Guy Must Have Spontaneously Combusted, Say Stumped Cops

A 76-year-old Irishman caught fire and died in his home last year, and officials have now ruled it a case of spontaneous human combustion. Michael Faherty was apparently found in his home after the fire alarm went off — his body and the floor and ceiling nearby were badly burned, but everything else was undamaged. There was an open fire burning in the fireplace at the time, but police have now ruled this didn’t cause Faherty’s incineration — says coroner Kieran McLoughlin, “This fire was thoroughly investigated and I’m left with the conclusion that this fits into the category of spontaneous human combustion, for which there is no adequate explanation.” I guess he’s the expert, but couldn’t a spark have jumped into Faherty’s lap or something? And is it wise to declare spontaneous human combustion when you can’t figure out how someone died? Next they’ll be classifying unsolved disappearances as alien abductions.

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