The issue: lightning was creating fires that would never go out.
Pretty much lightning generates fires wherever it strikes. Normally these fires are supposed to go out due to the rain during thunderstorms, but rain won't put out the fires if FireTicks are off (no fire spread / block burn), which is how the server is configured. This meant that every single time lightning struck, an ever-burning flame would be lit on that block. I've installed a small plugin I made (which I've properly tested all logic branches and functionality on) that prevents lightning from starting fires so that we don't have this issue anymore. Existing fires will still be there, but I'll see if I can clean things up a bit in higher-traffic areas.
Hopefully this will stop the landscape from looking like the apocalypse has come and set the countryside ablaze, fire and brimstone, blablabla.
If anyone needs some help cleaning up existing fires near where they live, just let me know.
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Usually when I come upon a fire I put it out. The only good point about these fires is that they do light up the landscape at night. Bad point is that I'm bad about accidentally walking into them xD
Yeah the overworld is starting to look more like the nether and and treacherous too. Glad your working to fix this. Ive gotten used to seeing fires everywhere, but would like them gone. Thanks