Strange Particle Behavior

Ok, contrary to what you probably thought when you clicked this, this isn’t about the new particle deflection. Here is an image of two burning astroids I need for a project.

http://img17.exs.cx/img17/7817/astroids.jpg

Notice the bottom one doesn’t have the flame. The flame is there, but it is actually being covered by the smoke. The problem is, even if I bring the flame way closer to the camera, where it would obviously be in front, the smoke still covers it. The even weirder thing is that the bottom one is a duplicate of the top one. I just Shift-D’d and moved it down. Anyone have an explanation?

Here’s a little more clarification too. This is what the set up looks like. The pink highlighted one is the fire. Somehow, I didn’t get the camera in there, but it is at the bottom of the layout there.
http://img62.exs.cx/img62/4887/layout8.jpg
As you can see, it is much closer to the camera than the smoke, but here is what the render of that looks like.
http://img62.exs.cx/img62/1273/secondrender.jpg
Anyone? Glitch in 2.34?

I have no explaination, but maybe a suggestion to fix it.

You could try duplicating the duplicate.

I have found in other programs, like Autocad, this can work. Never tried it in blender though.

Anyways, just a thought.

Render with the Unified render turned on (Scene Settings).

Martin