Because I know where an apu is in a plane, and it is right where the smoke comes out.
Now I'll admit there its not entirely impossible that this video shows what the headline says, but they would have had to retrofit the apu area to do so, then figure out a new home for the apu. Therefore, to me the most likely explanation is apu fire, as it appears to be smoke coming right out the back of an apu.
If it was moved, fuel lines running to it are going to need to be moved as well as the electrical lines. Both of those run through the pressure bulkhead at the back, so extensive analysis and testing will need to be done to verify safety of a critical structure’s new penetrations - both plugging up the removed ones and whatever would be added for this mythical sprayer.
The aft galley would then need to be removed to make room for still-necessary APU, along with the new lines - fuel and electrical. Quite a bit of structural reinforcement of the floors would be needed; the APU would exceed the floor loads. And all of this would need to be done without passengers noticing, which seems unlikely…. 1 from a noise perspective, and 2 from a service perspective. Looks like a 777. Taking out the aft galley of an airplane…and also the lavs….will be pretty impactful to flight operations.
I think you were right with your first guess …APU fire/malfunction.
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