- Spontaneous Combustion
Spontaneous combustion occurs when a material ignites without an external ignition source, due to a chemical reaction or biological process within the material that generates enough heat to reach its ignition temperature.
This can happen when certain materials, such as oily rags, hay, or coal, undergo oxidation or microbial activity, releasing heat in a confined space. If the heat cannot dissipate, the temperature rises until the material spontaneously ignites.