NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Spontaneous human combustion is a concept that sounds rooted in fiction, but it hasn't been entirely ruled out as a possibility by scientists.
In fact, one biologist named Brian J. Ford has hypothesized that if a body builds up enough of a compound called acetone it could result in a person bursting into flames.
A little over a decade ago in Ireland, one medical examiner ruled a man's death to be the direct result of spontaneous human combustion. Despite his body being found near an open and active fireplace, the way in which his body burned up is what ultimately baffled investigators.
The case has become one of the most popular examples people point to when discussing the phenomena. But with no real cause identified, it's also sparked some understandable paranoia about the subject. And the question remains: Can spontaneous human combustion happen to you?
On this week's episode of "Your Weirdest Fears," host Larry Mullins sits down with writer, investigator, and self-proclaimed skeptic Benjamin Radford to illuminate the truth about spontaneous human combustion once and for all.