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All Things Fire in Minecraft

Posted: Oct 21, 2020 in Minecraft

mc head By Kevin Lott

Overview

Ok, so this is a pretty weird topic, but what blocks are actually susceptible to burning away in Minecraft? Do chests burn? Do wooden stairs? What about carpet? I needed to clear my head from all this 1.17 Cave & Cliffs talk, so I thought we’d go over an overlooked aspect of our beloved block game. Today, we’ll see some things you might not have expected.

What burns? (Get it? It’s like ‘What gives?’ but fire!)

netherite in lava
Items
All items burn, except Netherite. Any Netherite armor or tool will actually be completely fine, whether they’re thrown in lava or fire. These are the only exceptions. I don’t know what exactly it is in the combination of gold, debris, and diamond that makes the items inflammable but that’s okay!

wood burning
Woodstuff
Most woodstuff will burn and disappear after being lit. The only exception are chests. A chest cannot burn, even when lava is poured onto it. This is actually pretty weird since the chest is made entirely of wood. Regardless, it’s great that one flint and steel can’t just burst open all my goodies at once.

netherack burning
Netherrack and Magma blocks
I’m sure we all know this, but fire never goes out on Netherrack or Magma blocks. For some reason, unless extinguished by the player or rain, the fire will persist indefinitely. This is useful, as you can make a huge burning pire, or a makeshift campfire. Basically, without these blocks, there’s no way to have a natural fire burn forever.

wood burning through cobble
Fire Spread
Not only does fire spread from block to block, like a hot infection, but it can spread through air! Not many know this, but depending on how far away the block is, the fire will still find its way through the air particles and ignite the night with its fiery might! Burning blocks can burn through air up to two blocks horizontally, one block diagonally, one block downward, and four blocks upward (most likely from the ash released) so be careful! This phenomenon can even occur THROUGH blocks, as you can see the fire pass through cobblestone to burn the wood above, within the four-block range. Your fireplace may be the reckoning of your base!

A little noteworthy tidbit: Firespread is significantly slower and reduced in humid biomes such as swamps.

soulfire
Soul Sand / Soul Soil
When either of these blocks is ignited, the flame will turn into a turquoise variant dubbed Soul fire. Soulfire is special in the sense that it does not spread to flammable blocks, but it will eternally burn. Piglins and Hoglins are scared of this because they are some of the only mobs that aren’t fire resistant in the Nether.

Conclusion

Welp, that’s all things fire for you! Now you know the ins and outs of nature’s natural disaster! Whether it be forest fires, a destructible house, or dropped items, fire can be a nuisance. But at the same time, the dread of seeing your beloved creations fall to the flame is what gives them value. Without death, life is meaningless. Morbid philosophy aside, I think you’ve got what it takes to handle fire now, and with that, have a great day!

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