Crematorium roof fire caused by 500-pound body

A fire that damaged the roof of a crematorium in Henrico, Virginia was sparked by the cremation of a “rather large body,” according to investigators.

The fire started when the furnace that was used to burn the 500-pound body overheated. Henrico fire spokesman Captain Daniel Rosenbaum wrote in an email to WTVR:

“The Henrico Fire Marshal’s office has determined the cause of the fire to have been accidental in nature. The rubber roofing near the smoke stack was ignited by the heat of the stack.”

Jerry Hendrix, who’s been the operations manager at Southside Cremation Services for 20 years, said he had never seen anything like it. “The man was a little larger than what we had done in the past,” he added.

Hendrix went on to tell NBC 12, “The body was so obese that the actual body fat came off and went straight up the stack and hit the roof material, the rubber roof we have up there and that’s what made it go up like it did… It was no negligence involved in it. My guys, we did all we could. Once it started, the grease hit the roof and started the fire, the only thing we could do is dial 911 and get the fire department here.”