Part 4/8:
Witnesses also reported distressing observations concerning the materials around Ground Zero. Interestingly, while many items, including steel beams, seemed to melt under the extreme heat, the trees and nearby buildings remained largely unharmed. This sparked debates about the thermal effects on different materials based on their grounding. The rubber tires on vehicles insulated them from heat, while the grounded structures were largely spared.
The flames, reportedly burning at temperatures of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, refused to conform to expected behavior regarding metal and other combustible materials. Insulated by their composition and design, the victims of this heat were those materials that should have been more resilient.