What is what color is ash?

The color of ash depends heavily on what was burned. There's no single "ash color." However, some common descriptions include:

• Light gray: This is a common color for ash from wood fires, especially hardwoods. It can range from a very light, almost white gray to a slightly darker, more muted gray.

• Dark gray: This is also common from wood, particularly softer woods or if there's a lot of charcoal present. It might even verge on black.

• White: Very light ash, almost pure white, can be produced from certain types of wood with low mineral content.

• Brown: Ash from burning materials other than wood, such as paper or certain plants, might have a brownish tinge.

• Black: Incomplete combustion (lack of oxygen) will often produce a lot of black charcoal mixed with the ash, resulting in a very dark, almost black ash.

In short, ash color is highly variable and provides clues about the source material and the conditions under which it was burned.