Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Fire Charges in Minecraft: Recipe and Uses
A fire charge is a one-use fire starter crafted from blaze powder, gunpowder and coal or charcoal. Use it like flint and steel to light fires, Nether portals, campfires and TNT, or fire it from a dispenser as a small fireball. Blazes shoot fireballs but do not drop fire charges; piglins sometimes barter one.
How do you make fire charges?
Craft blaze powder, gunpowder and coal or charcoal to get 3 fire charges. Blaze powder comes from blaze rods, and gunpowder from creepers. See blaze powder and gunpowder.
What are fire charges used for?
- Lighting Nether portals, campfires, candles and TNT; see Nether portals.
- Dispenser fireballs for traps and defenses.
- Firework stars: a fire charge gives a large ball shape; see fireworks.
- Setting mobs and blocks on fire.
Fire charge or flint and steel?
Flint and steel lasts 64 uses, while a fire charge is used up at once, but a fire charge can be fired from a dispenser. For lighting things by hand, flint and steel is usually cheaper; see flint and steel.
Where else do fire charges come from?
Piglins barter a single fire charge about 8.5% of the time, and ominous trial spawners can drop fire charges onto players and mobs during ominous trials. They cannot be used by hand as a thrown fireball, only from dispensers. Fire charges stack to 64, unlike flint and steel, so one stack lights many portals. Keep them away from wooden builds when testing dispenser fireballs.
Frequently asked questions
Do blazes drop fire charges?
No; craft them or barter with piglins.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.