Black smoke vs. white smoke: What does each color mean during conclave? Greta Cross, USA TODAY. Wed, May 7, 2025 at 7:00 AM UTC. 4 min read.

The color of smoke is also a key element to watch during a fire. Smoke’s hue can tell firefighters critical details about the properties of the fire itself and be used to better understand it ...

The smoke colors aren’t all-natural. In the past, smoke color depended on how the ballots burned, but sometimes they weren’t easy for viewers in St. Peter’s Square to see.

During a Papal Conclave, the world will be watching for white or black smoke from the Vatican's chimney. Here's what it means.

For white smoke, the Vatican says it used to use wet straw, but to make it a more pure color, instead of a confusing grey, they use potassium chlorate, lactose and a tree or bush resin called ...

Enhanced by chemicals, the color of smoke from those burning ballots – black smoke for no decision, white for "Habemus papam - We have a pope" – will inform the crowds waiting in St. Peter’s ...

The black and white smoke that emerges from the Sistine Chapel during a papal conclave is part of a longstanding tradition — although it's no longer just ballots that get burned ...

They tried smoke bombs for the black smoke in the 1960s. While they left no question about the color, they also filled the room with smoke, sending the cardinals into coughing fits.

Black and white smoke is used to represent the cardinals' decisions each day, as they are sequestered and cannot share this news directly. If one candidate doesn't receive the necessary two-thirds ...