a tiny hidden-fuel mystery

The smoke that catches fire

🔥 Real flames are grown-up only. Everything you tap here is an on-screen model.

A curious child watches a silver-blue plume curl from the dark wick of an extinguished birthday candle. the flame is gone, but something is still rising…

The flame is gone. A silver curl still climbs from the dark wick. What could be leaving after the fire disappears?

What does a candle flame eat?

Not the solid block. Heat melts wax, the wick lifts it, and more heat turns it into wax gas. That gas burns just above the wick.

A cutaway candle shows amber wax beads climbing the wick, becoming blue-grey gas beads, and entering a flame above the wick.

Follow one bit of wax

Tap through its route: melt, climb, become gas, then burn above the wick. The wick is a tiny delivery road.

1 of 4 · wax melts into the pool

Can a spark cross the path?

This is a pretend fuel trail—not candle smoke. Nearby fuel gives the test spark a next step. A wide empty gap gives it nowhere to go.

packed togetherwide gaps

Now, a brand-new case

Two candles have just gone out. Their fresh plumes start exactly alike. A desk fan beside the right candle is OFF.

What changes when the on-screen fan turns on?

In the on-screen test, both trails are fresh. An adult’s flame starts at the same height.

A desk fan suddenly blows across only the RIGHT trail. Which trail can carry flame to its wick?