What's the Phantom Flash Above the Explosion?

[Artlav]

Frames from the latest MythBusters episode, an explosion where they fuse some plates together.
You can see the phantom flash high above the explosion place.

What is it?
It appears to be in a right place for a lens flare, but doesn't look like one.

 

[Danger]

All that I can think of right off the top of my head is that maybe some combustible gas was ejected upward and ignited.

 

[russ_watters]

Could it just be a lens flare?

 

[Artlav]

Could it just be a lens flare?

Seems like it - it's in a right place.
Just wanted to know if it could be something else.

 

[russ_watters]

Oops, lol, I skimmed your post and missed the last sentence where you said that, sorry.

 

[Danger]

Hey, I just noticed something. Part of that is already there before the explosion, and persists in the last frame. It's a bit more apparent in the second-last one. It's a right-bracket shaped discolouration directly above (touching) the right-hand dark brown section of the building.

 

[Borek]

Some kind of reflection to me, either inside the lens (so lens flare), or perhaps camera was hidden behind some kind of glass.

 

[Danger]

I hadn't considered that, Borek, but you might be right on that last point. The Mythbusters tend to shelter behind clear ballistic panels when blowing things up.

 

[LURCH]

Hey, I just noticed something. Part of that is already there before the explosion, and persists in the last frame. It's a bit more apparent in the second-last one. It's a right-bracket shaped discolouration directly above (touching) the right-hand dark brown section of the building.

I believe that is a stretch of dirt road going up the hill behind the structure.

 

[Danger]

I believe that is a stretch of dirt road going up the hill behind the structure.

That's possible, of course, but it's pink. The way what it blends into the 'flare' is flawless.

 

[Borek]

Differences between first frame and next ones:

Looks like shockwave shaking camera on the third frame

 

[Danger]

Holy crap! It's the Great Pumpkin!

 

[Lancelot59]

Pumpkin of doom! That's pretty neat, I've never noticed that before.