Dr. Michael Baden on Mystery Oklahoma Fire Death: Is Spontaneous Human Combustion Possible?
The death of 65-year-old Tulsa, Oklahoma, resident Danny Vandandt on Monday has left local authorities puzzled.
The man's charred remains were found in his kitchen, but the rest of the house was intact. Neighbors called police when they saw smoke coming from a window. The local fire marshal called Vandandt's death a "real mystery," since
investigators could not figure out how the fire started. This has led some observers to speculate that this is the latest case of human spontaneous combustion. On Happening Now, Jenna Lee discussed the mysterious case with forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden.
He stated plainly that there is no such thing as a human suddenly bursting into flames. He explained that there are ways in which a human can die because of a fire that does not spread to other areas of the house. Baden said he's investigated a few similar cases over the years. "It's often a cigarette butt or matchstick that falls onto clothing, the clothing burns. They're often older people who have limited ability to get out of harm's way," said Baden.
Watch Dr. Baden' explanation:
