"Fire and biodiversity" is a much-discussed topic based on research in different countries under varying environmental conditions and fire regimes. Nevertheless, until now, no research has been carried out on faunal post-fire biodiversity in winter fire-prone ecosystems such as deciduous forests on the south-facing slopes of the Alps. The basic objectives of this study were to analyse the effects of single and recurring fires on spider communities and their subsequent diversity. Epigeic spiders were used as bioindicators to describe the ecological response of chestnut forest-floor habitats to winter fires in Southern Switzerland. Overall, 143 spider species were sampled from April to September using pitfall traps at both post-fire and intact chestnut coppice sites. Approximately 30% of the species found were present exclusively in burnt sites (compared with only 7% found exclusively in intact areas). These results suggest that post-fire succession was initiated by surviving individuals. No dominant pioneer species were observed in the burnt sites. Changes in communities were observable only within the first two years after a single fire, whereas changes persisted in areas with recurring fires. In the latter case, communities were characterised by the eudominance of a single species (Pardosa saltans) and by an increase in species richness. The presence of species strongly associated with particular fire regimes indicates a wide-mosaic structure of environmental and microclimatic conditions at the epigeic level, with a predominance of xeric conditions. Evidence was found that major silvicultural projects implemented before and during the early 1950’s, combined with an intense fire history, have played an important role in the development of the spider communities in the chestnut forest of the Southern Alps.