2 JavaScript Fire Effects

by Vladimir 1 min read

This collection explores various techniques for creating fire effects, from classic to cutting-edge. The fundamental 2D particle system on Canvas, where JavaScript manages the lifecycle of each “spark,” is covered, as well as creative CSS hacks with animated box-shadow. For maximum realism and performance, the power of WebGL shaders is demonstrated, which use procedural noise to create organic, “liquid” flames. This is your guide to procedural animation, from lightweight styling to complex GPU-accelerated simulations.

Examples

A dynamic, roaring flame animation with realistic turbulence and a glowing halo, rendered in real-time with PixiJS and a custom GLSL fragment shader

PixiJS Procedural GLSL Flame

This is a PixiJS Procedural GLSL Flame. It generates a hyper-realistic, endlessly animating flame entirely through mathematical functions inside a fragment shader. Its function is to provide a high-performance visual effect without relying on video files or sprite sheets, using procedural noise to simulate the chaotic turbulence of a real fire. (Requires: PixiJS)

Technologies:
HTML JavaScript
Difficulty:Advanced
Browser Support (as of Mar 2026):
Chrome Chrome 60+ Edge Edge 79+ Firefox Firefox 55+ Safari Safari 11+
Features:
Fragment ShaderProcedural NoiseFractal Brownian MotionReal-time Animation
Code by: Blake Bowen Blake Bowen
License: MIT
A stylized digital flame animation that changes its intensity and shape based on user scroll.

On-Scroll Fire (Three.js + GSAP)

A stylized, “digital” flame that evolves over time but obediently transforms (fades or flares up, changes geometry) in response to user interaction (scrolling).