You’re standing on a frozen peak in the Hebra Mountains, Link is shivering violently, and your hearts are ticking down. You’ve got wood in your inventory. You’ve got a weapon. But for some reason, you can't figure out the actual mechanics of how to make fire in Zelda Breath of the Wild fast enough to stay alive. It’s frustrating. The game is famous for its "chemistry engine," but that's just a fancy way of saying things react like they do in the real world. Mostly.
Fire isn't just for staying warm, though. It’s a tool. It's how you cook that Hearty Durian to full-heal your health, how you burn away thorns blocking a shrine, and how you create an updraft to paraglide over a Hinox.
The Flint and Steel Method (The Standard)
The most common way you’ll be doing this is using flint. Flint is everywhere. If you see a black, sparkling ore deposit on the side of a cliff, smash it. You’ll probably get some.
Basically, you open your inventory, select a bundle of wood, and hit "hold." Then you select a piece of flint and hold that too. Drop them both on the ground right next to each other. Now, take a metal weapon—a broadsword, a claymore, whatever—and smack the flint. One hit. That creates a spark, and the wood ignites. Just don't use a wooden weapon to hit the flint, or you'll just end up with a broken branch and no fire. It’s a bit clunky at first, but it becomes second nature after the Great Plateau.
Fire Weapons: The Infinite Matchstick
If you're tired of wasting flint, you need a Flameblade or a Fire Rod. These are game-changers. Seriously.
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When you have a Great Flameblade equipped, you don't even need to strike the wood. You can literally just drop a bundle of wood on the ground and perform a swing nearby, or even just stand next to it in some cases, and the elemental heat does the work for you. The Wizzrobes near the Dueling Peaks often drop Fire Rods. These are great because you can lob a fireball at a pile of wood from a distance.
The coolest part? Carrying a fire weapon on your back actually increases Link's internal temperature. If you're in a cold region and don't have the Rito armor set yet, just having a Flameblade equipped can stop you from freezing. It’s a passive buff that many players overlook while they're busy worrying about how to make fire in Zelda Breath of the Wild using more difficult methods.
Red Chuchu Jelly is Basically Napalm
Most people see Chuchu Jelly and think it's just vendor trash for a few rupees. They're wrong.
Blue Chuchu Jelly is the base version. But if you expose it to heat—like dropping it near a campfire or killing a Chuchu in the Eldin region—it turns into Red Chuchu Jelly. This stuff is volatile. You can drop a red jelly next to a pile of wood and shoot it with a normal arrow, or hit it with a melee weapon, and it explodes into a fireball.
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It’s an excellent way to start a fire in the rain. Rain is the absolute worst enemy in this game. It puts out fires instantly. However, if you find a small overhang or a cave, you can use Red Chuchu Jelly to force a fire to start even when the weather is miserable. It’s basically a portable grenade that leaves a lingering flame behind.
The Environment is Your Friend
Sometimes you don't need to use your own resources at all.
- Lightning: If it's a thunderstorm, drop a metal shield or sword near some wood and wait. A bolt will strike the metal, and the resulting blast will ignite anything flammable nearby. It’s risky, obviously. Link might die. But it works.
- Magma: In the Goron region, you don't even need to try. If you drop wood on the ground in Death Mountain, it will spontaneously combust within seconds because the ambient air is so hot.
- Torches: Never underestimate the humble torch. You can carry a blue flame from an ancient furnace or just a regular flame from a cooking pot. If you see a lit torch in a ruin, use it to light your own. You can then walk that flame over to any wood pile.
Why Fire Mechanics Actually Matter for Gameplay
Fire creates updrafts. This is a pro-tip for exploration. If you light a large patch of dry grass on fire, it creates a massive thermal. Jump into the middle of it and pull out your paraglider. You’ll be shot into the air, giving you a vantage point or a way to escape a Guardian.
Also, consider the "cooking" aspect. You don't always need a pot. You can make "Roasted" items by just tossing ingredients directly onto an open flame. A Roasted Hearty Radish won't give you the "Extra Hearts" buff that a cooked meal would, but it will heal you more than a raw one, and it stacks in your inventory as a single item slot. This is a massive inventory management hack.
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Dealing with the Rain
Let's be honest: the rain is the most hated mechanic in the game because it makes figuring out how to make fire in Zelda Breath of the Wild nearly impossible. If it starts drizzling, your fire will vanish.
The trick is to find "dry" spots that don't look dry. Large trees with wide leaf canopies often have a small circle of dry land underneath them. Look for rock overhangs or even the underside of a fallen Hylian bridge. If you can get the wood bundle completely under cover, the fire will stay lit regardless of the storm outside.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Journey
Go to the Eldin region and farm some Red Chuchu Jelly; it’s the most versatile fire-starter you can have. Next, track down the "Major Test of Strength" shrines, as they often reward you with elemental weapons like the Flameblade. Once you have a permanent fire weapon, you'll never have to worry about scavenging for flint again.
Start looking for "combustible" opportunities in combat too. A single fire arrow into a red barrel can clear an entire Bokoblin camp before they even see you. Fire isn't just a survival mechanic—it's the most powerful weapon in Link's arsenal if you know how to manipulate the environment.