Good capture of a sad event. Black and white was an excellent choice for this and gives a newpaper feel. For an alternative composition, try cropping just above where the wind carries the smoke to the left, and just to the left of where it turns up. It might make for an interesting alternative.
Good choice here for b/w. A very nice natural composition. Yes, the smoke comes from the back of the building. The eye is faced with the massive black on the upper left and the pure white on the right.