When Did Humans First Use Fire?

The earliest possible evidence of human-controlled fire comes from Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, where burnt bone fragments and ash deposits date to about 1 million years ago. More convincing evidence, including structured hearths with repeated use, appears at sites like Qesem Cave in Israel (around 400,000 years ago) and Schöningen in Germany. Fire gave early humans warmth, protection from predators, light after dark, and the ability to cook food — which made nutrients more accessible and may have driven the expansion of the human brain. It is considered one of the most transformative technologies in human evolution.