A 500-pound cadaver likely caused a fire at a Virginia crematorium on Wednesday when a hot smokestack set material for the roof ablaze, the Times-Dispatch reported.
Southside Cremation Services began to burn at noon and the fire was put out in roughly 45 minutes by Richmond and Henrico County fire crews. But crematorium manager Jerry L. Hendrix said he's gotten the green light to continue cremating the 500-pound body that created an overload of heat and oil during its cremation.
"There was no damage to the body that would not be normal; it remained within the retort and we are about to proceed with the remainder of the cremation," Hendrix told the Times - Dispatch.
Three people were inside the building when it caught on fire, but were able to escape unharmed, according to RT. Only the roof of the building was burned.
The facility is allegedly known across the state for cremating large people. Hendrix said the body was a little larger than what the 20-year-old company is used to working with.
The deceased man's family was not present during the cremation.
Even a 300-pound body can take four or five hours to cremate, according to Emory Sanford of the Windsor Crematory in Brunswick, Va. She said when someone to very heavy, the person conducting the cremation must not allow continuous heat to be placed on the body or else it will get too hot.
