Charcoal fragments were found in a podsolic soil in a slope above Intragna, canton of Ticino, Switzerland. Through wood anatomical analysis and 14C dating some information was found about soil development (100 cm in 7000 years), vegetation patterns and fire history. The appearance of chestnut-trees (castanea sativa) since the Roman epoch as revealed by pollen analysis corresponds to the charcoals of this species occurring in the upper layer down to a depth of 20 cm. The coniferous part of the stand (Abies alba, Pinus sp.) which was continuously present in the past (7000 years ago) disappeared approximately 2000 years ago. We found traces of seven forest fires. The human influence on the fire frequency is not apparent on this particular site, though regional traces of human activity have already been detected.