The last widely reported case of suspected spontaneous human combustion in Britain occurred in 1982 in Edmonton, North London. Jeannie Saffin, 61, was reportedly engulfed in flames while sitting in her kitchen, with witnesses describing a sudden flash and blue flames emanating from her midsection and mouth, accompanied by roaring sounds likened to a dragon. She was hospitalized and died a week later. Initial accounts from paranormal investigators suggested that Saffin’s body burned from within while her clothes remained largely intact, but official examinations challenged this interpretation.

Hospital records indicated no damage to her mouth, undermining the claim of roaring flames originating there. Pathologists concluded that her death was consistent with the “wick effect,” a phenomenon in which an external ignition source—such as a lit cigarette or match—sets a person's clothing or body fat on fire, sustaining the blaze much like a candle wick and melting fat serves as fuel. One hypothesis is that embers from a pipe smoked by Saffin’s father, Jack, were carried by a cross breeze through an open window and ignited her flammable nylon clothing.

A similarly notable and more recent case occurred in Ballybane, Ireland, in 2010. Michael Faherty, 76, was found deceased, his body severely burned in a sitting room. The coroner ruled the death as spontaneous human combustion, citing the absence of foul play or the use of accelerants. The damage was limited primarily to Faherty’s remains, the floor below, and the ceiling above, with the remainder of the residence sustaining only smoke damage. Local fire authorities were unable to determine the origin of the blaze.

Spontaneous human combustion remains a rare and poorly understood phenomenon, with roughly 200 reported cases worldwide over the past three centuries. Investigations often focus on the wick effect and environmental factors, though some occurrences continue to attract speculative explanations.