Well... to be fair the "ground" in this case was a MASSIVE farkING PILE OF COAL DUST

and we all know how effective covering coal fires with a cap of dirt is......

i was expecting this story to be about centralia, pa

It was probably a patch of lye with a body buried under it.

Wasn't there a calvin and hobbes where calvin spontaneously combusted?

RogerDodger: Wasn't there a calvin and hobbes where calvin spontaneously combusted?

not that i recall, but he did ask dad about it

Saturday, in the park, I think it was the Fourth of Ju-YEEEEAAAARRGGHH

You think that's painful? Trying burning your foot on a George Foreman grill when you get out of bed - ouch!

So I take it the city will end up having to foot the bill?

Blues_X: And that's another to put down on the "parental nightmare" list.

Time to lawyer-up.

I defended the McDonald's coffee woman but a bizarre geologic occurrence I might just chalk up to life.

/life must hate him

That poor child...

M. Night Shyamalin seen furiously scribbling notes in the area...

tacks: You think that's painful? Trying burning your foot on a George Foreman grill when you get out of bed - ouch!

Thank you.

/Came in for the Michael Scott references.
//Or to make one if none were to be found.

real shaman: and we all know how effective covering coal fires with a cap of dirt is......

This is amateur stuff. Centralia(Pops) would like a word with the kid.



/Drove through/by there a few times.
//Can't believe people stayed as long as they did.

H_is_for_Heretic: Blues_X: And that's another to put down on the "parental nightmare" list.

Time to lawyer-up.

I defended the McDonald's coffee woman but a bizarre geologic occurrence I might just chalk up to life.

/life must hate him

Bizarre geologic occurrence? Someone who owned a coal mine and probably sold a lot of coal for profit dumped coal dust out in the open, rather than complying with regulations on how to dispose of it.

Then the city bought land from the coal mine and turned it into a park without thinking to check for contamination.

Geologic occurrence my ass. Somebody did something they weren't supposed to do.

indylaw:

Geologic occurrence my ass. Somebody did something they weren't supposed to do.

Sure-
For an older person at least, once the pills kicked in, a bottom-of-the-foot injury has to be a little fun. Reading, TV, and if insurance won't pony up a wheelchair someone has to carry you.

With Christianity on the decline, Satan is forced to pull off minor annoyances these days instead of the large scale stuff like he used to do.

What a sad little fark he's become. Giving a kid the hot foot. Keep it classy Lucifer.

Cagey B: Saturday, in the park, I think it was the Fourth of Ju-YEEEEAAAARRGGHH

LOL

Wait... Do I see FUEL there!?

Hmm... energy shortage... SELF-burning coal just lying around.

Is 2+2=4 here?

volcanic footprint

hot-foot trifecta in play

indylaw: Bizarre geologic occurrence? Someone who owned a coal mine and probably sold a lot of coal for profit dumped coal dust out in the open, rather than complying with regulations on how to dispose of it.

it says they might have done it in 1957... good luck tracking those guys down, proving they broke a law or regulation and more importantly that they could have forseen this occurence being the result of their actions and that somehow their neglect led directly to this kids issues- 51 years later....

tacks: You think that's painful? Trying burning your foot on a George Foreman grill when you get out of bed - ouch!

I stepped on (with bare feet, of course) a curling iron I forgot to turn off that fell on the floor. The underside of each toe on the arch part got seared off. EOOOOUUUCCCHHH!

IXI Jim IXI: M. Night Shyamalin seen furiously scribbling notes in the area...

The villain was the sun-ignited coal waste the whole time!

*slaps forehead*

What a twist!

Wow, man. This far in and not a single reference to the Fire Swamp?

"Thats the fire swamp! We'll never survive!"
"Nonsense, you're only saying that because no one ever has."

tacks: Trying burning your foot on a George Foreman grill when you get out of bed - ouch!

Your foot, huh?

suuuure. ;)

Came here for Parasite Eve and South Park references. Please don't disappoint me.

Holy cows, I used to play at that park on summer vacations with the grandparents.

FTFA: "...coal is constantly oxidizing and can ignite if the heat from oxidization is not carried away by wind.

...

The Parks Department plans to cover the coal waste with a thick cap of soil."

that's some real nice firefighting there, Lou...

"Dozens of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not really widely reported."

Lizardking: Wow, man. This far in and not a single reference to the Fire Swamp?

"Thats the fire swamp! We'll never survive!"
"Nonsense, you're only saying that because no one ever has."

Well, I'm not saying I'd build a summer home, but the trees are quite lovely.

Put a clove out on my arm once.

RogerDodger: Wasn't there a calvin and hobbes where calvin spontaneously combusted?

Probably a few!

Is the tag on vacation right now?

Global Warming proven!

Al Gore approves!

Super-Volcano caldera forming?

"DEATH?!?!? For running a stop sign??"

"Yeah... and for being a banker.. that's the double death!"

"Did somebody order some exploding pants?"

At least he wasn't on some sort of strange highway

/obscure?
//probably not

tlchwi02: indylaw: Bizarre geologic occurrence? Someone who owned a coal mine and probably sold a lot of coal for profit dumped coal dust out in the open, rather than complying with regulations on how to dispose of it.

it says they might have done it in 1957... good luck tracking those guys down, proving they broke a law or regulation and more importantly that they could have forseen this occurence being the result of their actions and that somehow their neglect led directly to this kids issues- 51 years later....

Tracking down the owners might be an issue. However, I think fire and personal injury resulting from fire are highly foreseeable and proximately caused results from tossing out highly combustible coal dust in the open. What would the defendants claim - that they had no idea that coal could burn? It doesn't have to be shown that the operators could have foreseen this particular kid receiving burns approximately 50 years later.

Whether they broke a law is irrelevant if their actions were negligent - the existence of a regulation would just make it easier to prove a duty of care through negligence-per-se.