Beachgoers Burst Into Flames From Extreme Heat and Dangerous Sunscreen

With temperatures in the 90s and heat indexes well over 100, the shore area has been sweltering. The heatwave could extend into the coming week and, naturally, people are heading to the beach to seek some relief. What they didn't expect was that a trip to the beach could end up with them spontaneously combusting. 

"This recent heatwave has created a surprising number of spontaneous human combustions," said Dr. Sonny Byrne, a professor of climatology at Stockton University. "This is usually extremely rare, but we have already had nine reports of people catching fire on New Jersey beaches." Dr. Byrne explained that with the right combination of high temperature, bright sunlight, and certain flammable sunscreens, a person can catch fire. "We have found that some sunscreens have a very low flashpoint, which is the temperature at which substances catch fire. Some oil based ones can ignite at less than 100 degrees. For this reason, many brands of sunscreen are now including a flashpoint rating on their labels."

Point Beach visitor, Ember Smokin, recently caught fire. "I was lying on my beach towel and someone yelled, 'this girl is on fire!' I realized they were talking about me, so I ran into the waves. I wasn't hurt, but it was a little scary. I later found out my sunscreen had a flashpoint rating of only 96 degrees!"

Dr. Byrne says the one fortunate thing is that people usually don't get hurt when they catch fire. "Because of the heat, there is a layer of sweat on the body that protects a person until they reach the surf. Still, the danger shouldn't be underestimated." 

Dr. Byrne recommends that your look for a sunscreen that has a high flashpoint rating of at least 150. "If you insist on using a low flashpoint sunscreen, you should never go to the beach if the temperature is over 85. Any higher and you are just playing with fire,"