Final answer:
The first definite evidence of hominin use of fire dates back to around 1.7-2.0 million years ago with Homo erectus. Sites with Homo erectus and Homo heidelbergensis show ancient hearths, charcoal, and evidence of cooked meat. Homo heidelbergensis had continuous fire use, evidenced by a site in Israel dating to about 780,000 years ago.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first definite evidence of hominin fire use comes from sites associated with Homo erectus and Homo heidelbergensis. The earliest possible evidence dates back to around 1.7-2.0 million years ago (MYA) with findings such as ancient hearths, charcoal, and charred animal bones at Zhoukoudian, China. This suggests that H. erectus was not only using fire but may have been hunting, cooking, and eating meat. Researchers have also found continuous fire usage at sites associated with Homo heidelbergensis, especially one in Israel dating around 780,000 years ago. Although there's debate over when hominins first controlled fire, it's clear that by at least about 125,000 years ago, they had the capability to start and control fires.