Calif. woman apparently burned by rocks in pocket

Associated Press ^ | May 17, 2012

[Free ThinkerNY]

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (AP) — A woman suffered third-degree burns after what appeared to be the spontaneous combustion of rocks that had been scooped up from a Southern California beach, a fire official said.

The 43-year-old woman's children collected the rocks Saturday at San Clemente Beach, and she tucked them into the pocket of her shorts, according to the Orange County Register (http://bit.ly/JuVv9L ).

[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.

[F15Eagle]

Wow. Third-degree?

Yikes.

[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.

[jmacusa]

Sure there is. Magnesium and phosphate. Mix the two together in the open air and they ignite. It’s what tracer rounds are made of.

[Rocky]

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

[21twelve]

“...if they found something other than actual rocks”

Hmm. Would also be perhaps why they picked them too. Why grab an ordinary rock when you can grab a “rock” with all sorts of cool yellow and white and green crystals.

[thecodont]

When I first read this, I thought magnesium was involved (magnesium shavings used as kindling can burn very hot).

[21twelve]

Oh - and the burns may have been caustic or acid “burns” - and not a “pants on fire” burn.

[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!

[21twelve]

Dang - I really should read the articles first - her pants DID catch on fire. Although I was partly right on the rocks - smooth, orange and green in color.

[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?

[Cheapskate]

Those couldn't be crack rocks could they?

I don't know crap about chemistry.

[Kickass Conservative]

>”Something doesn’t add up here. I smell BS”<

More like smelling burnt Pubic Hair.

[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?

[Cementjungle]

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.

Just wait until that mass of stuff from Japan finally gets here.

[Krankor]

I think they’re called “cop rocks”- used by the police when they give you the third degree.

[Nooseman]

Pocket rock -ets!

[Brandonmark]

[Nooseman]

so you think it was just them mre warmers? at any rate you blame the military.

[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.

[rawcatslyentist]

Can you believe they ingest that stuff? Even when they know what it's made of?

They need a long stay at the funny farm, or a free lifetime supply.
Their lifetimes are not very long anyway.

Why jack up the cost with a black market? So they have to burn, loot, and pillage to get it?
Make it legal, cheap, and readily available, and the criminality to obtain it vanishes.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Boy, one sure hopes she could quickly get her rocks off.

[Kenny Bunk]

Hot Pants ... finally back in style!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorts

[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.

[Pecos]

Mabe the rocks were escapees from a lava lamp.

[Usagi_yo]

I don’t like the attitude of “so you blame the military”. No I don’t blame the military but there sure are plenty of reasons to be suspicious about it.

It’s innocent until proven guilty, not beyond suspicion until proven guilty.

[R. Scott]

White phosphorus will ignite when it dries out. As long as it is wet it’s fairly safe.

[MagnoliaB]

Awww...you beat me to it. LOL!

[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.

[trebb]

When I first read this, I thought magnesium was involved (magnesium shavings used as kindling can burn very hot).

nd sodium takes off if it hits moisture. Carbide and water = acetylene. I used to make hydrogen by putting aluminum foil in a container with water and lye - it generates a lot of heat. Lots of potential reactions to provide a combustible environment.

[Roccus]

Pocket rock -ets!

Henri is not amused.

[battousai]

Are those the actual rocks in question in your picture?

[Theoria]

yeah.

[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/~

[Salamander]

[Slings and Arrows]

His haircut?

Yup. Ancient aliens.

[Salamander]

Somebody actually made ones that said that.

:D

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1920&bih=992&q=my+hair+ancient+aliens&gbv=2&oq=my+hair+ancient+aliens&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=img.12...1346.10545.0.13841.22.10.0.12.1.0.191.809.9j1.10.0...0.0.WwpLe7imtSQ

[Salamander]

The steady follicular descent into madness:

[Salamander]

9PM tonight, History Channel!

[Slings and Arrows]

*chuckle* I should’ve known.

[Slings and Arrows]

Methinks the Martian mind control ray needs a little work.