A Irish pensioner’s death was ruled as ‘spontaneous combustion’ – although, how it exactly happened left investigators scratching their heads.
Michael Faherty, 76, was found burnt to death at his home in Galway, Ireland, on December 22, 2010.
The inquest stated that at 3am, Faherty’s neighbor heard his fire alarm go off, leading him to go outside and see smoke bellowing from Faherty’s house – he then said he banged on the front door, however, received no response.
He then got the attention of another neighbor, before the police and fire department made their quick arrival to the scene.
The source of fire wasn’t determined by the police or the fire department (Getty stock image)
Investigating the scene, no accelerant was found and no signs of foul play were suspected, and the assistant chief fire officer, Gerry O’Malley, concluded that the fire in the fireplace was not the source of the ignition, according to Galway Beo at the time.
There was also no reports of anyone entering or leaving the home prior to the discovery of Faherty’s body, The Guardian reported.
Faherty’s organs was so badly damaged by the fire that the cause of death could not be determined, however, it was concluded that he did not die of heart failure, according to the coroner, Dr Ciaran McLoughlin.
During an inquest into the fire, Dr McLoughlin said that he was ‘left with the conclusion that this fits into the category of ‘spontaneous human combustion’, for which there is ‘no adequate explanation’, adding that this was the first time he’d ever returned such a verdict in his 25-year career, The Guardian says.
The idea of ‘spontaneous combustion’ has long plagued both fiction and history, with many questioning whether the phenomenon actually exists or not.
Coroner Dr. Ciaran McLoughlin (pictured) said he had never seen anything in his career (PETER MUHLY/AFP via Getty Images)
Those in the scientific community, in general, do not believe it to be possible, arguing that even if the phenomenon was rare, it would happen more frequently across the world and in more random places and situations.
At the time, retired professor of pathology Mike Green, weighed in on the death of Faherty, as well as other examples of ‘spontaneous combustion’ that he had come across.
Green said he believed the term ‘spontaneous’ to be incorrect and said there was always a source of ignition, but it could easily be destroyed in the fire – like a match or a cigarette.
According to the BBC, he said: “There is a source of ignition somewhere, but because the body is so badly destroyed the source can’t be found.”
Speaking about the similarities between the case of Faherty and others, he continued: “This is the picture which is described time and time again. Even the most experienced rescue worker or forensic scientist takes a sharp intake of breath (when they come across the scene).
“I think if the heavens were striking in cases of spontaneous combustion, then there would be a lot more cases. I go for the practical, the mundane explanation.”