The bug
Some mobs don't try to get into the water when they are on fire (even if for example hostile mobs don't have any player around them or that player is in creative mode).
List of these mobs:
Creeper
Endermite
Evoker
Ocelot
Zombie Villager
Ravager
Spider
Iron Golem
Piglin
Axolotl
Villager
Cat
Panda
Hoglin
Turtle
Silverfish
Vindicator
Wolf
Zombie
Additional mobs that try to get into the water, but seem to underestimate their hitboxes:
Donkey
Horse
Goat
Cow
How to reproduce
Spawn one of the mobs on this list near water.
Set them on fire with flint and steel.
See how they don't try to get into the water.
Linked issues
is duplicated by
MC-211826
Mobs don't pathfind to water when on fire
MC-223919
Wolfs on fire do not attempt to pathfind towards water
MC-223920
Ocelots and cats on fire never attempt to pathfind towards water
MC-297405
Large animals (bigger than 1 block) Will go near water instead of into the water to extinguish themselves while on fire
relates to
Comments
marcono1234
bemoty
Can confirm for MC 1.12.1.
migrated
Confirmed for 1.13.1.
anthony cicinelli
Affects 20w29a except for skeletons
Avoma
Can confirm in 21w06a.
Mask3D_WOLF
Requesting that the Mojang Priority is updated to Important as the duplicate of this report (MC-211826)'s Mojang Priority was set to important before being marked as a duplicate
Orbic
Can confirm for 21w18a
ampolive
Can confirm in 1.17.1.
ampolive
Also affects drowned when they are far enough away from water.
ampolive
Can confirm in 21w37a. Agreed that the Mojang Priority should be set to Important per MC-211826.
ampolive
Can confirm in 21w38a.
ampolive
Can confirm in 21w42a.
ampolive
Also affects goats (MC-223917).
ampolive
Can confirm in 21w44a.
Orbic
Still in 1.18 Pre-1, and also affects Goats
Orbic
In 22w05a
Avoma
Can confirm in 1.18.2.
Minecraft386882
Confirmed in 24w45a
In 1.12 this appears to be one class (
net.minecraft.entity.ai.EntityAIPanic) which also handles panic when being attacked, therefore the class needs to be split since monsters are supposed to fight back when attacked.