A 13,000-year record of fire and environmental change from Lake Gorzyńskie, Poland

We present the first high-resolution reconstruction of fire regimes in western Poland over the past ∼13,000 years, based on multiproxy analyses from Lake Gorzyńskie. Our study addresses two central questions: how did fire frequency vary across the Late Glacial and Holocene, and what were the main environmental and anthropogenic drivers of fire dynamics in this region? Results show that during the Late Glacial, fires were relatively frequent but generally low in intensity, reflecting natural ignition in open woodlands under variable climatic conditions. Around 11,000 cal BP, at the onset of the Early Holocene, fire activity declined sharply as warming and increased humidity promoted the expansion of closed forests dominated by Pinus sylvestris and Betula spp., which limited fuel availability. After ∼9500 cal BP, sporadic fire episodes occurred, but from ∼6000 cal BP onward, fire regimes increasingly reflected human influence, including agriculture, settlement expansion, and land clearance. Vegetation–fire interactions played a major role: dense, moisture-retaining forests suppressed burning, whereas periods of land opening and the spread of herbaceous and cultivated plants increased fire frequency and charcoal deposition. Differences between macroscopic and microscopic charcoal records suggest that local fires were embedded within broader regional patterns, linking immediate catchment events to larger-scale climatic and anthropogenic drivers. Geochemical evidence further indicates that fire influenced the catchment primarily indirectly, through deforestation and soil disturbance rather than direct combustion. • High-resolution 13,000-yr record reveals long-term fire variability in Poland. • Fires were frequent during the Late Glacial. • Land opening and cultivation from ∼6000 cal BP increased fire frequency and charcoal. • MAC vs MIC shows local fires embedded in broader regional fire pattern.