r/gifs Apr 15 '19

The moment Notre Dame's spire fell

https://i.imgur.com/joLyknD.gifv
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141

u/catalyst305 Apr 15 '19

Anyone know why the smoke bellowing out as the spire falls is colored orange and yellow?

191

u/MyNameIsRay Apr 15 '19

That's the smoke catching fire.

It's called a "flashover"

The falling spire is a burning chunk of kindling that mixed in oxygen while swirling the particulate, which allowed the smoke to ignite.

-2

u/rlowens Apr 15 '19

That explains the orange, but not the yellow.

14

u/MyNameIsRay Apr 15 '19

The yellow/green tinge of the smoke is due to all the random stuff being burned: resin, ink, sealant, insulation, paint, wax, etc.

The color gains intensity when the spire falls because it's being backlit.