During the Palaeolithic occupation of the rockshelter, the planet was experiencing one of the coldest periods of its climatic history, the Last Glacial Maximum. The Lapedo Valley, due to its canyon-like configuration, and the rockshelter itself, provided favourable conditions for human, animal and plant communities. In this context, fire was a fundamental element for the survival of Palaeolithic hunting groups, and also made it easier to carry out domestic activities, from preparing food to making clothing, as documented by the remains recovered during the archaeological excavations.
The study of the charred plant remains recovered from Lagar Velho mainly reveals the use of Scots pine, the best-represented tree species in the region at the time, as firewood.