Smoke is like a cloud that comes from a fire. When something burns, it turns into tiny pieces that float in the air, making it look like a gray or black mist. These tiny pieces are called particles. Imagine blowing bubbles; smoke is like lots of tiny bubbles floating up into the sky, but you can’t pop them. They can make the air look fuzzy and hard to see through.

Another way to think of smoke is like the steam that comes out of a hot cup of cocoa. When you see the steam, it’s because the heat is turning the liquid into a gas that rises up. Smoke is similar, but it comes from things like wood or leaves when they get really hot and start to burn.

Smoke can also be like a blanket that covers the air. This blanket can make it hard for us to breathe if there’s too much of it because it fills the air with those tiny particles. It’s important to stay away from too much smoke because it can make our eyes sting and make it hard to breathe, just like when you get a face full of bubbles or steam.