Burning Ground: What is Burning Ground in Path of Exile 2?

Burning Ground is a fire-based environmental hazard in Path of Exile 2 that deals continuous damage to characters who stand within it. Unlike ignite, which is a status effect inflicted on enemies, Burning Ground affects an area and causes fire damage over time (DoT) to anything caught in it. This effect can quickly chip away at health or energy shield if not avoided.

Where Does Burning Ground Come From?

You’ll encounter Burning Ground through various sources in the game:

• Player Skills: Certain abilities like Fire Trap^[1] or Flame Dash leave behind a trail of Burning Ground when cast.
• Enemy Attacks: Some monsters create Burning Ground when they attack or die, adding extra danger to close-range fights.
   
• Map Modifiers: Specific map affixes introduce Burning Ground throughout the area, increasing the map’s overall difficulty.
   

The damage scales with the level and type of the content, so high-tier maps or bosses can create more lethal versions of it.

How Can You Avoid It?

To minimize the impact, players can:

• Use mobility skills to get out of affected areas quickly.
   
• Choose gear with ground effect resistance if available.
   
• Avoid maps that have ground-based fire effects if your build is vulnerable.
   

Why Is Burning Ground a Problem?

One major concern is how poorly visible the effect can be in the middle of a visually intense battle. This makes it hard to react quickly, especially for Energy Shield^[2] builds, which typically don’t have as many tools to mitigate fire-based ground damage.

In Path of Exile 1, players could counteract Burning Ground with Pantheon^[3] powers or certain gear. In PoE 2, however, options to reduce or negate this damage are more limited, leading to frustration among some players.

References

1. [1] "Flame Trap". www.pathofexile.com. Retrieved June 03, 2025
2. [2] "Energy Shield". www.poewiki.net. Retrieved June 03, 2025
3. [3] "Pantheon". www.poewiki.net. Retrieved June 03, 2025