Lava quick facts
- Spawns naturally in underground Lava Caves
- Snow freezes it into Scoria, which drops Cinder
- Cinder is transportable and re-burns into Lava
- Trapped in a Filter, it ignites what passes over
Heat mechanic
Sandustry Lava: Find It, Freeze It, and Put It to Work
Lava is both a hazard and a tool. It appears naturally underground, can be redirected where you want it, and can be frozen, transported, and re-ignited to power the heat side of your factory.
Lava Caves
Freeze and move it
Filter auto-burner
Heat source
Verified against v0.5.5 on 2026-08-20
Official source
Where Lava Comes From
Your first Lava is not built; it is found. Knowing where it lives changes how you plan both exploration and later heat routing.
Underground Lava Caves
Lava occurs naturally in the underground Lava Caves, so the question early on is less "how to make it" and more "how to reach it and stay safe."
It can be redirected
Lava is not stuck where it spawns. It can be guided, which matters when you want the heat near a machine instead of deep in a cave.
Freeze It, Move It, Burn It
The cleanest way to relocate Lava is not to move the Lava at all. Freeze it, carry the solid, then restore the heat at the destination.
Freeze with Snow into Scoria
Snow meeting Lava hardens it into Scoria. That single state change turns a hazard into a solid you can handle.
Break Scoria into Cinder
Destroy the Scoria to collect Cinder, the form of Lava that can be transported without burning you on the way.
Re-ignite Cinder into Lava
Apply a Flamethrower to the Cinder and it turns back into Lava, closing the loop exactly where you want the fire.
Using Lava in the Factory
Once Lava is available on demand, it stops being a threat and becomes an input for burning and heating.
Build a Filter auto-burner
Lava trapped in a Filter ignites pixels that pass over it, which lets you burn Residue or Flower automatically as they ride across. See the Filter page for the setup.
Feed the Thermal Buffer
Lava in direct contact with a Thermal Buffer is consumed and transfers a large amount of heat, turning it into a deliberate heat source rather than an open flame.
Late-Game Lava
Eventually you stop hunting for caves. The late game gives you a renewable source.
The Volcanizer
A late-game tool can generate Lava indefinitely, removing the need to transport it from a cave at all. Its exact unlock cost is not yet pinned down in Early Access.
Lava is not for Pipes
Pipes never move Lava, so the freeze-and-carry route through Cinder is the intended way to relocate it before the Volcanizer arrives.