Top 5 uses for fire in Minecraft 1.18

Fire is one of Minecraft's most primal elements. It can either be constructive or destructive, depending on how players utilize it.

The use of fire in Minecraft carries inherent risk. Players who aren't well-versed with its mechanics in the game are likely to end up setting themselves aflame.

Once players have an understanding of fire, however, they can harness it in many positive ways. Some of these methods are more useful than others, but all of them stand to assist the player in some fashion.

---

Most efficient uses for fire in Minecraft version 1.18

5) Disposal

Fire can destroy most items that aren't resistant to it (Image via Mojang)

If a Minecraft player wants to get rid of undesirable items, they can toss them aside and wait for them to despawn. Alternatively, they can drop them into a fire and destroy them immediately.

There are a few items immune to this effect, chiefly gear made of Netherite and ancient debris blocks, as their sturdiness can withstand the flames of the Nether. Otherwise, almost anything can be quickly disposed of by being thrown into a fire.

---

4) Decorative Fireplaces

A nice fireplace in a home can make one's surroundings feel more comforting (Image via Mojang)

Somewhat similar to a fire-based garbage disposal but without the garbage, a fireplace can make a great decoration in many settings. A player's library, an enchanting room, an ornate throne room, or even the entrance to a Nether portal can all be accentuated by fireplaces.

Minecraft players have come up with countless designs for a fireplace and have integrated them into many different builds. They take almost no materials to make and can be as simple or as elaborate as a player likes.

---

3) Cooking

Food can now be cooked on campfire blocks (Image via Mojang)

While food was originally cookable in blocks such as furnaces and smokers in Minecraft, the introduction of campfire and soulfire blocks has now opened up new avenues.

Food items that are placed onto a campfire or soulfire will cook over time, and the player can then retrieve them. Players can always use the other blocks, but cooking food on a campfire has a certain portability. It also doesn't require fuel such as coal, wood, or lava to cook. This gives it an economical upside compared to furnaces (when materials are taken into account).

Furthermore, if players set certain mobs such as pigs or cows on fire, they can immediately get cooked food items as a drop.

---

2) Combat

Undead mobs are set ablaze by sunlight (Image via Mojang)

By and large, most hostile mobs found within Minecraft don't like fire or sunlight. With enchantments like Fire Aspect, players can immediately set enemy targets ablaze, speeding up their demise.

This can be used to a player's advantage in combat, especially on higher difficulties where undead mobs can be tough to take on. Players can either burn the mobs outright or draw them into the sun to defeat them.

It should be recalled, however, that many mobs in the Nether are immune to fire, so swinging a Fire Aspect sword at a Wither skeleton won't yield desired results.

---

1) Clearing Land

Burning trees saves time compared to players cutting them down (Image via Mojang)

Environment-conscious Minecraft players may not like it, but taking a flint & steel to a forest is an excellent way to clear land for future building projects.

Chopping down trees using punches or an axe takes a lot of time, and clearing out large forests can be a chore even with enchanted tools. In this situation, it doesn't hurt to set the forest ablaze.

Fire spreads quickly and can remove large swaths of a forest in a few moments, making it a great time-saving measure.