Deceased Obese Woman Causes Crematory Blaze - as part of the news series by GeoBeats.

A cremation facility in Austria suffered a harsh fire, leaving the building gutted, after cremating an obese woman. An investigation concluded that the body fat from the nearly 450 pound woman blocked an air filter, causing the filter system to overheat and catch fire.

The widely reported story has sparked controversy over whether there should be a standard weight limit for cremation to prevent further blazes.

There have been similar incidents in Switzerland, which now sends bodies over a specific weight limit to a heavy duty crematorium, equipped to accommodate the extra warmth that larger bodies produce.

Cremation weight limits may amplify the ongoing debate over weight-related discrimination. One woman took her anger to court after being told she was ‘too fat to fly’ by a Southwest Airlines employee. The airline has a policy stating that customers must purchase an additional seat ticket if their bodies cannot fit into the 17 inch seat width. A recent study concluded obesity discrimination is high in the workplace, offering lower starting pay and reduced chances of candidate selection. Victoria Hospital in Texas has gone public in saying they will not take on new employees with a BMI of over 35.