Burning Steppes The Burning Steppes hold the only accessible land passage from the Kingdom of Stormwind to Khaz Modan and Lordaeron . The highway is thus well traveled , but still very dangerous . Now virtually abandoned by the Kingdom of Stormwind , the Burning Steppes is controlled by minions of the black dragonflight and agents of the firelord Ragnaros . This rugged region is full of craggy foothills , scattered boulders and warring factions . Rivers of lava dot the landscape , as well as charred earth and burning ruins . The sky is a red hue here , due to sporadic eruptions from Blackrock Mountain . Blackrock Spire , an orc stronghold in the Second War , stands proud and defiant among the mountains . Dark Iron dwarves control the fortress ’ s deeps , though rumor has it that Ragnaros the Fire Lord still broods in the shadows . Black dragons under Nefarian hold the spire ’ s upper levels , and the two groups battle constantly for supremacy . The surrounding countryside is home to Blackrock orcs and Fire - Gut ogres , all brutal castoffs from the Second War . The Molten Span , a massive stone edifice in the north , bridges a river of fire and leads to Khaz Modan . While many use the Burning Steppes as a thoroughfare , it is populated by one of the few successful orc settlements in Azeroth . These orcs do not honor Thrall ’ s truce with the Alliance , instead following the barbaric practices the orcs used from before the Third War . Deeper into the region , ogres , dragons , and the Dark Iron clan of dwarves can be found . With the volcanic activity and lava flow , the weather is perpetually hot and dry . The Burning Steppes are located north of the Redridge Mountains and south of the Searing Gorge . It is dominated by Blackrock Mountain in the northwestern area . It is a central location housing the black dragonflight and various creatures . It also has quite a few high - level instances . It is recommended that characters be at least level 55 , as the creatures are some of the most powerful in the game . The Blackrock orcs maintain a lasting settlement around the volcano known as Blackrock Stronghold , staying hidden from the road but always keeping watch for Alliance attacks . These orcs are more typical of the type of the First and Second wars rather than the current Horde in Kalimdor . Bloodthirsty and savage , they mine the mountains around Blackrock Spire for metals with which to make weapons and armor . The Firegut ogres from the south study arcane magic , but their massive bodies still allow them to excel in combat . Give an ogre sorcerer a club and she ’ s still likely to bash out the brains of the strongest dwarven fighter . This violent race is dedicated solely to claiming the Burning Steppes as ogre territory . The Alliance — not to mention the orcs , the Dark Iron dwarves and the dragon folk — will not let this happen , as they refuse to lose control of the only passage to the north . The black dragons are elusive , and one who wishes to avoid getting torn apart doesn ’ t approach without considerable firepower . They will attack solitary travelers for sport and consider anyone approaching their usurped fortress free game . History . These steppes were formerly part of the Redridge Mountains before the Dark Irons came here after their exile . They established a colony called Thaurissan , but their sorcery turned out to be their undoing . Their thane , a mad sorcerer named Thaurissan , tried to summon elemental minions to aid him against the Ironforge and Wildhammer Dwarves , but instead he summoned the elemental fire lord Ragnaros . Ragnaros ’ arrival melted several mountains in this range and forged a great volcano in the blast ’ s epicenter . Now , the remaining Dark Irons live as puppets to Ragnaros and his fire elementals , who dwells under Blackrock Spire . Orcs also came here after the Second War and maintain settlements around and within the volcano , the climate being to their liking . The Horde conquered Blackrock Spire and used it as a base of operations during the campaign against Lordaeron in the Second War . Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer slew the human hero Anduin Lothar by the foot of the volcano at the war ’ s end , though Lothar ’ s death turned the tide and spurred the Alliance on to crush the failing Horde . Geography . Lacking the grace and beauty of Khaz Modan ’ s peaks , the Burning Steppes ’ mountains show the force of the energy that twisted them . The very rock melted when the volcano was formed , and lava changed the surrounding areas forever . The Blackrock Spire is awe - inspiring in its sheer mass and obvious devastation , while the rest of the land visibly attempts to recover from the damage done by the summoning of the Firelord , Ragnaros . In the northwest of the Burning Steppes sits the impossibly high Blackrock Mountain . It is a volcano that is still active over 500 years after its birth at the summoning of Ragnaros . The Burning Steppes are mostly under the control of the Black Dragons and their Blackrock Orc allies . In the midst of the barren Steppes are the Ruins of Thaurissan , the ancient Dark Iron capital that was destroyed in the summoning of Ragnaros . In the southeast , the Alliance has developed the outpost known as Morgan ' s Vigil . There are no instanced dungeons in the Burning Steppes themselves ; however , Blackrock Mountain to the north houses quite a few high level dungeons . There are no PvP battlegrounds in this zone . Several micro dungeons can be found here . Notable Characters . The Burning Steppes are home to several characters of note . At Morgan ' s Vigil , Marshal Maxwell seeks aid in locating a high - ranking officer of Stormwind . At Flame Crest , Mathredis Firestar attempts to feed his tainted addiction to magic by offering enchantments in return for powerful arcane components . And at Slither Rock , the vicious Cyrus Therepentous sends bold adventurers into the Blackrock Depths in search of the essence of fire . Cataclysm . The Burning Steppes is a 49 - 52 zone in Cataclysm . Areas affected :