Campfire flames rise through convection: hot combustion gases are less dense than the surrounding air, so buoyancy drives them rapidly upward, with flame temperatures in a wood fire ranging roughly 600-1100°C depending on the zone. Sparks are tiny burning embers or popping resin pockets that get swept into that thermal updraft, cooling and dimming as they arc, drift, and decelerate under buoyancy. Smoke is a mix of unburned carbon particles, water vapor, and volatile compounds, and its wispy, tumbling motion is a visible signature of chaotic, non-laminar airflow above the flame. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom.