# Colorful Campfire Christmas Lights

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorful-campfire-christmas-lights/72691>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 16, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorful-campfire-christmas-lights/72691 "2001-07-16T15:46:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Spider\_John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Spider\_John](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_John)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorful-campfire-christmas-lights/72691/1 "2001-07-16T15:46:54Z")

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This past weekend, while on a camping trip, I noticed the campers next to us had a blue-green fire. I remember as a kid, my parents bought some powder that would have this effect, but it wouldn’t last very long. Their fire stayed colorful for hours.

I asked them what they did and they said they used old, burned out strings of christmas lights. They gave me a string and told me to give it a try. At first there was a lot of black smoke, but for the next 2 or 3 hours the flames were blue and green.

What causes this? Is it the glass or the wire? Anybody know the straight dope?

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**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorful-campfire-christmas-lights/72691/2 "2001-07-16T16:18:38Z")

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Aaahhh, nothing like burning plastic in the Great Outdoors. Never do that again.

Onto your question: I believe the color of the flames owed to the metal filiments (specifically, copper) in the wiring burning. I could be wrong.

If you’re interested in a neat craft to recreate those colorful flames, check [this out](http://www.angelfire.com/nj3/PineConeLady/crafts.html).

[quote]  
The Chemicals You Need To Color Fireplace Flames  
{Most of the ingredients needed for this project can be found at your local grocery store, a pharmacy or online at the Chemistry Store.} The different chemicals or salts required for coloring flames are:  
Magnesium Sulphate (Epson Salts) for WHITE flames  
Lithium Chloride or Potassium Permanganate for PURPLE flames  
Barium Nitrate for BLUE flames  
Sodium Chloride (table salt) for YELLOW flames  
Baronsalts (Borax) for YELLOW-GREEN flames  
Copper sulphate (blue vitrol/Bluestone) for BLUE-GREEN flames  
Copper Chloride or boric acid for GREEN Flames  
Calcium Chloride (Bleaching powder) for ORANGE Flames  
Strontium chloride for RED flames

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorful-campfire-christmas-lights/72691/3 "2001-07-16T16:28:26Z")

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I agree, it was the copper in the wires that made the flames blue/green.

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**Author:** ![Spider\_John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Spider\_John](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_John)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorful-campfire-christmas-lights/72691/4 "2001-07-16T18:56:35Z")

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Thanks!