Fire in Minecraft

Fire is a non-solid block that is animated on all four slides. It is never created naturally when chunks are generated, except in the Nether. Fire blocks are created when a player uses flint and steel, or a fire charge. Other entities such as ghast fireballs, lightning, and lava can also set fire to flammable objects.

Generation

Natural Generation

The only place where fire can generate naturally is the Nether. It naturally generates in random patches across the terrain of the Nether. Soul fire generates exclusively in soul sand valley biomes in the Nether. However, it exclusively generates on soul soil; it does not generate on soul sand within either the same biome or in the nether wastes biome.

Netherrack on fire in the Nether (via screenshot)

Post Generation

Fire can be generated by entities such as lava, fireballs, and lightning strikes. Players can also set fire to things by using a fire charge or a flint and steel. Fire spreads quickly across flammable blocks, and can spontaneously ignite when flammable blocks are near lava, even though many blocks that should be flammable cannot catch fire from nearby lava.

Using a flint and steel to set fire to a tree (via screenshot)

What is the use of fire?

Fire is a destructive block that deals damage and destroys entities such as plates, mobs, and flammable blocks. Players and mobs alike will take damage when they are exposed to fire at a rate of 1 damage per second. If a mob able to drop meat dies while on fire, it drops the cooked version of the meat. Burning is not considered a status effect and therefore cannot be cured by milk.

A birch tree set on fire (via screenshot)

Conclusion

Fire is a destructive block that is generated both naturally and by players. Entities such as lighting strikes, lava, and fireballs can set fire to flammable blocks such as wood, wool, etc. The player can also make fire with the help of fire charges or flint and steel.