There is no single safe block gap between lava and wood in Minecraft: the risk depends on your edition and the air spaces around the lava. In Java Edition, check the 3×1×3 area directly above lava and the 5×1×5 area two blocks above it; in Bedrock Edition, check a 3×3×3 cube centered on the lava. These are candidate fire-placement areas, not guaranteed burn distances: fire also needs a qualifying air block next to something flammable.
How far can lava create fire from wood?
For Java Edition, lava can create fire in candidate air blocks in a 3×1×3 area directly above it, and in a 5×1×5 area two blocks above it. The farther area does not ignite if the nearer 3×1×3 area is completely filled. These dimensions describe where lava may create fire, not a simple distance from the lava to every wooden block.
For Bedrock Edition, the documented candidate area is a 3×3×3 cube centered on the lava. The block above that cube must be air or ignitable for the described rule to apply. The stated vanilla geometry comes from the Minecraft Wiki content mirror’s lava reference; Mojang’s Bedrock changelog does not document the full vanilla geometry.
| Edition | Lava’s candidate area | Additional condition |
|---|---|---|
| Java Edition | 3×1×3 directly above lava; 5×1×5 two blocks above | The farther area does not ignite if the nearer area is completely filled. |
| Bedrock Edition | 3×3×3 cube centered on lava | The block above the cube must be air or ignitable. |
Why block distance alone is not enough
Lava’s fire-creation check concerns candidate air spaces. A candidate space must also meet the fire-placement rule and be adjacent to a flammable block. Logs, stripped logs, wood, stripped wood, and overworld planks are among the wood-family blocks that can catch fire from lava.
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Once fire exists, it can spread to qualifying air spaces one block down, one block sideways (including diagonally), and as far as four blocks upward from a fire block. Solid blocks in the way do not necessarily stop upward spread. This is why a stone layer between lava and a wooden roof is not a universal guarantee of safety.
How to build around lava more safely
- Identify your edition. Use the Java areas or Bedrock cube above; their documented geometries differ.
- Check the surrounding air spaces. Look for candidate spaces that could receive fire and whether wood is adjacent to them.
- Keep wood outside the relevant areas, or fill candidate air spaces with nonflammable blocks. A nonflammable enclosure is a more dependable design choice than relying on a small gap or a single stone layer.
- Check the full route upward. Fire can spread upward beyond intervening blocks when qualifying spaces and flammable blocks are present.
Bedrock custom-block setting
Mojang’s Bedrock 26.30 changelog documents a lava_flammable property for custom blocks. The always value includes a custom block in lava’s fire-spread check after adjacent block updates, subject to normal fire-placement rules; never excludes it. This is a creator setting for custom blocks, not a general player setting for vanilla wood.
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