About the Forest Fire Timer
A lightning strike ignites the forest, and the fire spreads outward as time runs out. Each cell of the forest has three states: green forest (not yet burned), bright flame (currently burning), and dark char (already burnt). The fire front moves across the screen, leaving a trail of char behind it.
How It Works
The simulation picks one random ignition point. Every step, each burning cell rolls a 42% chance per neighbour to ignite it; misses retry next step, which gives the fire front its uneven, organic edge. A trailing band of cells stays "on fire" for a moment before darkening to char — so you see an active burn line, not just a fill.
Perfect For
- Dramatic countdowns — a fire line moving across the screen is impossible to ignore
- Classrooms — a visceral way to show time passing
- Science lessons — illustrates stochastic spread, percolation, and front propagation
- Anywhere you want urgency — much louder visual than a typical timer
FAQ
Will the fire reach the whole screen?
Yes — by the time the timer hits zero, every cell has burned. The fire band moves at a rate that fills the canvas exactly when time runs out.
Why does the fire spread unevenly?
Each cell rolls a probability per neighbour each step. That's what gives the burn its irregular front — same model used to study real wildfire spread.
Is the forest fire timer free?
Yes — free, no signup. Runs in any modern browser.
Can I run it in fullscreen?
Yes. Tap the Fullscreen button; press Esc to exit.