spontaneous combustion
Burning without spark
Spontaneous combustion is the ignition of a material without an external spark or flame, caused by heat building up from chemical reactions within the material itself.
Oily rags and damp hay are classic examples—oxidation generates heat faster than it dissipates, eventually reaching ignition temperature.
The phrase also describes the supposed phenomenon of human bodies catching fire without apparent cause, a staple of folklore and tabloid stories with no scientific basis.
Starting combustion process
- flamesVisible burning combustion
- autoignitionSpontaneous combustion from heat
- blazeIntense burning fire
- smolderingBurning slowly, no flame
inferno · conflagration · burning · charring · ember · ash · pyrolysis · flammable
Not yet clarified
- paranormalBeyond scientific explanation
- supernaturalBeyond natural explanation
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- inexplicableCannot be accounted for
baffling · mysterious · perplexing · cryptic · anomalous · urban legend · folklore · Dickens
Science of reaction heat
- exothermicReleasing energy as heat
- oxidationLosing electrons chemically
- pyrolysisHeat-driven molecular breakdown
- reactionResponse to stimulus
kinetics · calorimetry · enthalpy · thermal runaway · vaporization · accelerant · flammability · gases
Happening without any delay
- abruptSharp and unexpected
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- unforeseenNot predicted or expected
- unpredictableCannot be anticipated
flash · burst · eruption · rapid · immediate · without warning · unplanned · impromptu
ignition
Starting combustion process
- flamesVisible burning combustion
- autoignitionSpontaneous combustion from heat
- blazeIntense burning fire
smoldering · inferno · conflagration · burning · charring · ember · ash · pyrolysis · flammable · combustibles
unexplained
Not yet clarified
- paranormalBeyond scientific explanation
- supernaturalBeyond natural explanation
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
inexplicable · baffling · mysterious · perplexing · cryptic · anomalous · urban legend · folklore · Dickens · Bleak House
thermochemistry
Science of reaction heat
- exothermicReleasing energy as heat
- oxidationLosing electrons chemically
- pyrolysisHeat-driven molecular breakdown
reaction · kinetics · calorimetry · enthalpy · thermal runaway · vaporization · accelerant · flammability · gases · energy
instantaneous
Happening without any delay
- abruptSharp and unexpected
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- unforeseenNot predicted or expected
unpredictable · flash · burst · eruption · rapid · immediate · without warning · unplanned · impromptu · quick
- combustion typessmoldering, detonation
- fire hazardswildfire, gasoline, forest fire, matches, house fire
- UnexplainedUFO, ghost sighting, Bigfoot sighting, UFO sighting, apparition
- combustionburning, flames, fire triangle, ignition source, oxygen
- Mining Hazardscave-in, collapse, explosion, methane, gas explosion
- fire statesablaze, afire, aflame, alight, blazing
spontaneous combustionarson
Criminal deliberate burning
controlled burn · set fire · lightning strike · electrical fire
spontaneous combustionarson
Criminal deliberate burning
pyromania · incendiary attack · incendiarism · controlled burn · firebombing
spontaneous combustionextinguishment
Act of ending completely
fire suppression · quenching · smothering · cooling · dousing
spontaneous, combustion, spontaneity, spontaneously, combust, combustible, combustibility, incombustible