  We report on the formation of small solar flares produced by patchy magnetic
reconnection between interacting magnetic loops. A three-dimensional (3D)
magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical experiment was performed, where a uniform
magnetic flux sheet was injected into a fully developed convective layer. The
gradual emergence of the field into the solar atmosphere results in a network
of magnetic loops, which interact dynamically forming current layers at their
interfaces. The formation and ejection of plasmoids out of the current layers
leads to patchy reconnection and the spontaneous formation of several small
(size ? 1-2Mm) flares. We find that these flares are short-lived (30 s - 3 min)
bursts of energy in the range O(10^25 - 10^27) ergs, which is basically the
nanoflare-microflare range. Their persistent formation and co-operative action
and evolution leads to recurrent emission of fast EUV/X-ray jets and
considerable plasma heating in the active corona.
