Are adult remains typically consumed during a fire?

• A. Yes
• B. Sometimes
• C. No
• D. Unknown

Answer: (C)

In a fire, the main thing that happens to remains is destruction by heat. High temperatures char soft tissues, can melt or fracture bones, and reduce much of the body to ash or fragmented material. The act of someone consuming another person is a separate, highly unusual behavior and isn’t a normal consequence of a fire. Given how fires typically affect bodies, adult remains being eaten during a fire is not something investigators would expect as a typical outcome. If there were signs of cannibalism, that would indicate a separate crime or circumstance rather than a standard fire-related result. So the best answer is that it does not occur as a typical outcome.