Beyond the wick effect, several more exotic scientific theories have been proposed to explain apparent spontaneous human combustion. British biologist Brian J. Ford proposed in 2012 that ketosis — a metabolic state in which the body produces high levels of acetone — could make human tissue flammable under certain conditions. Individuals who are diabetic, alcoholic, or on extreme low-carbohydrate diets can accumulate acetone in their tissues, and Ford demonstrated that acetone-soaked tissue models burned with intensity consistent with SHC cases. However, the concentration of acetone required exceeds what has been measured in living humans. Another theory involves static electricity: some researchers have proposed that under extremely dry conditions, the human body could accumulate a static charge sufficient to produce a spark capable of igniting flammable clothing or body gases. A more radical hypothesis, proposed by physicist John Abrahamson, suggests that ball lightning entering through chimneys or electrical systems could strike and ignite a person. Perhaps the most sobering explanation is simply that many cases attributed to SHC are unwitnessed fires in which the ignition source — a cigarette, candle, or electrical fault — was consumed or overlooked during investigation.
