What color of smoke is not indicative of a backdraft?

The observation that yellow-green smoke is not indicative of a backdraft is based on our understanding of combustion and smoke characteristics. A backdraft typically occurs in conditions where there is a vacuum created by a fire consuming all available oxygen, leading to an explosive ignition when fresh air enters the space.

During this process, smoke that is produced is often very dark, typically black or deep gray, containing a high concentration of soot from incompletely burned materials. As for the color white, it is usually associated with steam or moisture present in the smoke, not with the intense heat and particulate matter of a backdraft scenario.

Yellow-green smoke, on the other hand, is generally indicative of specific materials being burned, such as certain plastics or chemicals, rather than being a sign of a backdraft. Therefore, understanding the properties of smoke color in relation to combustion scenarios helps clarify why yellow-green is not characteristic of a backdraft.