[cynwoody]

but an electrical fire that disabled ACARS and the transponder, and generated CO or some other toxic substance before burning out could do it.

How would the fire have known when to go out, such as to leave the plane in the air until 0811+ Kuala Lumpur time?

[Jim Noble]

“how would the fire have known when to go out”

I have no idea. Whatever the facts turn out to be, presuming the plane is in the water, something unusual happened.