Oversized body causes fire at Henrico crematory

timesdispatch.com ^ | Bill McKelway Richmond Times-Dispatch

[BenLurkin]

The cremation of an oversized body apparently helped set ablaze the roof of a crematory Wednesday when the smokestack overheated and set roofing material on fire.

The fire at Southside Cremation Services, in the 1600 block of Crump Street, started shortly after noon and was extinguished by Richmond and Henrico County fire crews by 12:43, according to the Henrico County Division of Fire.

Manager Jerry L. Hendrix Sr. said Wednesday afternoon that he’s received a go-ahead to resume cremating an 800-pound cadaver that created excessive heat and oil during a cremation

[HangnJudge]

Must be Gas

[2ndDivisionVet]

Eight hundred pounds?!

[GeronL]

I am on the edge of a LOL

[BenLurkin]

Starved to death.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Jeez, I wonder if their weight had anything to do with their death?

[Veggie Todd]

I didn’t know Michael Moore had died.

[Temujinshordes]

Hillary passed?

[dfwgator]

Well at least they beat Anorexia.

[Prospero]

As soon as I can stop laughing... I have to wonder if this brought back touching memories of the six day cremation of Biggy Smalls.

I suppose their insurance providers will now require such clients, in the future, be cremated in chunks.

[Covenantor]

Should have gone for a piece work contract

[zencycler]

He went out in a blaze of glory.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Just the fat liposuctioned from her candles.

[RetiredTexasVet]

Above all never throw water on a fat fire .... they teach you than in Home Economics 101.

[webheart]

Well, they used to use whale blubber as lamp oil. Hydrocarbons are flammable and body fat are hydrocarbons. (Note to other grammer cops: I know about the word “are” in the previous sentence.)

[60Gunner]

Hmmm. I wonder if they coulda just dynamited the carcass? (Cue the Oregon beached whale footage)

[Vendome]

When a BBQ gets out of hand I usually throw flour or cornstarch on it.

They didn’t have any?

[Slyfox]

800 pounds. Yikes.

[dfwgator]

[Secret Agent Man]

i thought crematorium workers knew that special handling was required on really really large people to be cremated. i actually thought they split them up into 2-3 sections because normal oven sizes weren’t designed to safely cremate such large masses without overheating and even catching on fire.