The Pyrocene describes the history of the relationship between mankind and fire: the development of our species' remarkable ability to control flames.

Fires have been around for as long as life on this planet has, and that's no coincidence.

Large-scale fires are crucial to the biodiversity of our world, so avoiding them is not an option.

Stephen Pyne is a professor of environmental history at Arizona State University. He has authored many books on the history of fire.

Pyne's original proposal is that mankind's developing relationship with fire – especially through the use of fossil fuels – has brought about the fire equivalent of an ice age.

In this 2021 release, Pyne sets out a plan for how we can wisely manage the custodial duties of this planet.