Homo erectus is the early human species associated with the use of fire and living in Africa about 1.8 million years ago. It was one of the first human relatives to have a body shape and walking style broadly similar to those of modern humans.
Homo erectus fossils appear in Africa by roughly 1.9 million years ago, including material traditionally classified as Homo ergaster. The species had longer legs, a shorter pelvis, and a larger brain than earlier hominins such as Australopithecus. It later spread beyond Africa, making it one of the earliest human species known from Asia and possibly Europe.
Fire is often linked with Homo erectus because some archaeological sites associated with the species contain burned material. However, the earliest evidence is difficult to interpret: natural fires can also burn sediment, and controlled fire use may have developed gradually. The species is therefore the canonical quiz answer, even though the exact timing and regularity of fire use remain debated.