[Cementjungle]

Weird. Can you imagine finding nice little rocks on the beach, and packing them in your suitcase for the flight back home.

[onyx]

Unreal.

[TheBattman]

No such thing as “spontaneous combustion”...

[DemforBush]

Hmm. I’m neither a geologist nor a chemist, but I’m wondering if they found something other than actual rocks. One of the comments on the story suggested crystalized byproducts of chemical manufacturing (well, the guy said explosives, but I’m thinking a bit broader than that). I have no earthly idea why a highly combustible chemical compound would be on a California beach, but it might explain the ignition and difficulty in putting it out.

Either way, weird story. Hope the lady recovers soon.

[Rocky]

The rocks in her shorts are nothing compared to the rocks in her head.

[dr_lew]

I’m gonna guess “shake and bake” + coverup. BTW, did you see Kirby Wilson is back with the Steelers? Well, glad he’s doing well.

[Defiant]

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

[lmr]

Something doesn’t add up here. I smell BS.

[deang]

Thats so sad. Poor Women. But the authority must take quick action and investigate this issue. But 1 question remained unanswered how the rock caught fire?

[Usagi_yo]

San Clemente Beach is the next beach north of Camp Pendleton Marine Corp Station. Camp pendleton is a major marine training facility and they have practice beach landings.

After some of the winter storms you can usually walk the area beaches and find some of their flotsam jetsam washed ashore. Things like MRE’s, Medical kits and the like.

[Theoria]

What? No lava rock jokes?

[Nooseman]

Pocket rock -ets!

[Brandonmark]

[mkjessup]

Are those rocks in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

ohhhhh hot damn! lol

[muir_redwoods]

Methane hydrates form under the sea but I don’t think they would be stable enough to exit very long as pebbles on a beach. Perhaps dome caustic material dumped at sea came in on the tides.

[Chainmail]

The key to the puzzle is that she found the "rocks" off San Clemente Beach, just north of Camp Pendleton. Chances are, she picked up crusted over felt wedges from a fired white phosphorus artillery round.

The felt wedges are soaked with white phosphorus and ignite when the round opens and they are exposed to air, producing the dense white smoke used for screening and marking targets. Felt wedges often crust over, sealing some of the remaining white phosphorus until some uninformed individual picks one up or steps on it (as I did once: set my boots on fire).

WP is nasty stuff and produced deep and painful burns. Have to be careful what you pick up near training bases.

[wesagain]

Rocks spontaneous combusting? ........ BS

[Venturer]

In another story a man on the beach cooking hot dogs said some kids came along and stole the charcoal from his habachi.

[killermosquito]

I was is Disney World and had two or three batteries in my pocket. Every time I made a purchase I put my change in my pocket. A couple hours later my leg was practically on fire. The plastic melted off of the batteries they became so hot.

[Slings and Arrows]

o/~ I've got something in my pocket... o/~