▁char co al ▁and ▁to ▁control ▁wild life ▁from ▁' t ens ▁of ▁thousands ' ▁of ▁years ▁ago . ▁ ▁Fire ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁used ▁for ▁centuries ▁as ▁a ▁method ▁of ▁tort ure ▁and ▁execution , ▁as ▁ev iden ced ▁by ▁death ▁by ▁burning ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁tort ure ▁devices ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁iron ▁boot , ▁which ▁could ▁be ▁filled ▁with ▁water , ▁oil , ▁or ▁even ▁lead ▁and ▁then ▁he ated ▁over ▁an ▁open ▁fire ▁to ▁the ▁ag ony ▁of ▁the ▁wear er . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁Ne ol ith ic ▁Revolution , ▁during ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁gra in - based ▁agricult ure , ▁people ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁world ▁used ▁fire ▁as ▁a ▁tool ▁in ▁landscape ▁management . ▁These ▁fires ▁were ▁typically ▁controlled ▁burn s ▁or ▁" co ol ▁fires ", ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁un control led ▁" hot ▁fires ", ▁which ▁damage ▁the ▁soil . ▁Hot ▁fires ▁destroy ▁plants ▁and ▁animals , ▁and ▁end anger ▁communities . ▁This ▁is ▁especially ▁a ▁problem ▁in ▁the ▁for ests ▁of ▁today ▁where ▁traditional ▁burning ▁is ▁prevent ed ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁encou rage ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁tim ber ▁cro ps . ▁C ool ▁fires ▁are ▁generally ▁conducted ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁and ▁aut umn . ▁They ▁clear ▁under g row th , ▁burning ▁up ▁bi om ass ▁that ▁could ▁trigger ▁a ▁hot ▁fire ▁should ▁it ▁get ▁too ▁dense . ▁They ▁provide ▁a ▁greater ▁variety ▁of ▁environments , ▁which ▁encourag es ▁game ▁and ▁plant ▁divers ity . ▁For ▁humans , ▁they ▁make ▁dense , ▁imp ass able