Weird Yellow Smoke or Gas coming from ground in the woods

My girlfriend and I were walking along the bike trail in a wooded area and we saw what looked like small plumes of smoke rising from the ground. Not wanting to see a forest fire I went to stamp it out before it got out of hand. When I did, it turned bright yellow and I noticed it wasn't coming from the underbrush as I thought it was. It also increased massively in potency. So, deciding not only was it not fire as it was rising from the ground, I decided to skedaddle. By the time we came back around about an hour later on the way home it was gone.

I tried looking it up online but can get no info, all the search engines seem to care about is killing yellow jackets... stupid search engines. So my question is. Anyone know what the hell that stuff was?

Did it have a smell ? What region are you in ? Maybe some sort of sulphur gas? Did it rain recently ? Could it have been pollen that was accumulated on the ground and dried then stirred up by the wind ? Any industries close by ? Lots of possibilities.

a reply to: DJMSN

Girlfriend says it didn't smell sulfuric, I have no sense of smell. It did rain yesterday after a long drought. It was pillowing so not sure that's something pollen can do. As for industry, not that close to that area.

Maybe it was a cloud of pollen from one of those giant "puffy" mushrooms?

Mushrooms "pollinating" or whatever it is mushrooms do. I think I have seen that myself somewhere in my past but its blurry.

a reply to: Puppylove

We're there pine trees there..
Pine pollen.

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: Puppylove

We're there pine trees there..
Pine pollen.

I thought that as well, but the OP said it was coming from the ground.

a reply to: Mandroid7

Looked at a video, can't upload gif. But that's a good call

Mandroid 7 already suggested it, it sounds like a patch of puffball mushrooms, I have seen them in the woods look just like what you described. It looks like yellowish or whitish smoke coming out of the ground.

And it recently rained? Mushrooms don't waste much time spreading spores in the right weather conditions, like rain. a reply to: Puppylove

Some kind of fumes rising up from a pile of composting leaves or other organic clump, perhaps?

a reply to: Fools

Yes I just looked it up and mushrooms are more plausible.


YT video m.youtube.com...

originally posted by: Mandroid7
Maybe it was a cloud of pollen from one of those giant "puffy" mushrooms?

That's what I was thinking, they can burst themselves, and send out, 'smoke' for long enough..they don't need to be so big either,
Here the site is pretty obvious, but if in foliage all you might see is the smoke..often it's the rain that sparks them off.

a reply to: Bigburgh

I think that's it, thanks everyone!!!!

originally posted by: Puppylove
a reply to: Bigburgh

I think that's it, thanks everyone!!!!

Don't credit me.. credit 👉👉👉Madriod7 Fools Lr103

a reply to: Bigburgh

I thanked everyone, you just were the one with the video.

Where are the pics? You'd think with it being weird you might take some. I'm having a hard time a reply to: Puppylove

a reply to: hombero

You know... it's funny how I didn't even think to take pics. Was more concerned with getting out of there just in case. We both had our phones too. I'm not the type to take pictures often though, so not too surprised I didn't think to. Will try to remember if I see something weird again.

Why are ATE members allergic to taking videos with their phones when they see strange sh#t?

a reply to: Bigburgh

What are the circumstamces in that video? Obviously a tree gets cut down...but, why is there a sudden huge poof of pollen before the tree even moves? It's bothering me.

Yeah, puffball mushrooms, they are abundant around here right now.

I do like the steaming pile of manure theory though!