Blue Ridge Funeral & Cremation Service        7626 Highway 213      Mars Hill, NC 28754     Phone: (828) 680-9963      Fax: (828) 680-9965      Email: brfs@blueridgefuneralservice.org


The Cremation Process

The Cremation Process

Part of making funeral arrangements on behalf of a loved one involves choosing between burial of the body, or cremation. Certainly this is a big decision, based on any number of factors: religious or spiritual beliefs, finances, or ecological awareness are just some of the reasons we've heard for choosing cremation. Before you can make the choice, you need to know exactly what it is you're considering. You can learn the basics below, however, if the content here raises additional questions for you, please give us a call at 828-680-9963. One of our cremation specialists will address any of your inquiries or concerns.

People often have many misconceptions about how cremation works. Many think that cremation involves actual fire and is simply the burning of the deceased. However, the cremation process is completed with a lot more care and is much more technical in nature. 

How Does Cremation Work?

Cremation is the process of reducing a body to ash by exposing it to very high temperatures. First, the family or next of kin must authorize the body to be cremated. The crematorium operator prepares the body and removes any jewelry, medical devices (i.e. pacemakers), prostheses, and implants. The corpse is placed in a container made of wood or heavy cardboard. The container is then placed into the crematory chamber which is essentially a large furnace. The heat ignites the container and the body begins to dry out. The temperature in the chamber can rise to about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. It usually takes 2 to 3 hours to fully cremate a body. What’s left is a grey coarse material that feels like a fine gravel. On average, 3 to 9 pounds of ash is produce (Kim, 2018).

Steps of Cremation at Blue Ridge Funeral & Cremation Service

1. Plan Online or Call Us

You can start planning for a cremation service with our easy to use, online platform

However, if you have questions or need immediate assistance with planning, please do not hesitate to call us directly. 

2. Make the Agreement Official

Once we receive your online cremation request, we will reach out to you to finalize the agreement and make an official record on our database. 

3. Removal From Place of Death

Upon losing a loved one, contact us right away and we will remove the body from the place of death and transfer it to the cremation facility. 

4. Viewing & Funeral

If you have chosen to have a visitation, funeral or both, we will begin the preparations for these services. 


5. Process of Cremation

We will then transfer the body to the crematorium, and the operators take care of the cremation process. The cremation itself will take 1-3 days to be fully completed. 

6. Safeguarding the Ashes

We will keep your loved one’s ashes safe and stored until the next of kin is ready to receive them. 


Speak with One of Our Cremation Specialists

We encourage open dialog about all end-of-life issues, and sincerely hope you reach out to us to dig deeper into the topics related to cremation and burial. Call us today at828-680-9963 to ask a question or to set an appointment (either in your home or our office). We look forward to the conversation.
Sources:

Kim, M. (2018). How cremation works. Retrieved from https://science.howstuffworks.com/cremation1.htm
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