It appears that Neanderthals in Europe, 125,000 years ago, kept forests open by starting fires occasionally.

The indigenous Australians are known to have started brush fires frequently enough that the fires burned only the brush, and spared the trees. This kept the terrain open. It seems they did this by policy. Perhaps biologically modern humans used this method everywhere that it was applicable.

The article's information is that Neanderthals did basically the same thing. They too may have done it by policy, thought we don't know yet.