How fast does dry, dead flesh burn?

efreysson · Aug 4, 2013

My protagonists are fighting a bunch of vampires who have gone without blood for a long time. They are dried up and withered and corpse-like, and one of them gets shoved head-first into a blazing fireplace and held there for a bit.

So how fast would old, dry flesh catch fire in a situation like that? And roughly how long before the remains of the brain would be basically destroyed?

GeorgeK · Aug 4, 2013

Desiccated corpses will burn if placed on a pyre or in a kiln of some sort but don't really ignite easily. The more fat the easier to burn.

However you are not talking about the dead. You are talking about the undead and popular myth about them is that a magic that binds them is itself a flammable accelerant. So I doubt that many would complain about how quickly they go up in flames.

You could have them wearing clothes from the 60's. Polyester of the time was like wearing flash paper...almost.

LilahLangdon · Aug 4, 2013

GeorgeK said:
However you are not talking about the dead. You are talking about the undead and popular myth about them is that a magic that binds them is itself a flammable accelerant. So I doubt that many would complain about how quickly they go up in flames.

This.

Given the supernatural nature of your characters, I think you could decide on your own timeframe... written well, seconds or weeks would be just as acceptable as using a human timeframe (although I suppose having your character's head held down for weeks would be a touch silly).

How fast does dry, dead flesh burn?

efreysson

Closer than ever

GeorgeK

ever seeking

LilahLangdon

Should probably be writing