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In Fuego-Patagonia, South America, the long-term interactions between climate and fire are still poorly understood and the importance of climate as a determinant of postglacial (after ca 17 ka BP) fire patterns is controversial. One means of addressing this issue is to investigate whether regional differences in fire histories are related to climatic gradients. For this purpose, we compile characteristic charcoal sequences from the literature and our own research along the southwest–northeast precipitation gradient across the Andes. Postglacial fire histories along two transects in southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego show distinct geographical trends, reflecting changes in effective moisture. Throughout the Holocene, high fire activity has been associated with environments similar to the modern steppe–forest ecotone. Xeric woodlands and scrub-steppe probably combined a high density of human ignition sources with fire-conducive fuel characteristics. To separate the impact of Paleo-Indians on fire occurrence from the influence of climate is difficult, as human fire ignition was likely focused in the most fire-prone environments. However, independent of the type of ignition source (Paleo-Indians or lightning), fire-conducive climate conditions appear to have been a prerequisite for the spread of fires. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]