Wildfire is an important disturbance in ponderosa pine communities in the Black Hills and surrounding areas. Effective management of these communities requires an understanding of historical fire regimes. This review provides a synthesis of the available scientific literature on historical patterns and contemporary changes in fuels, stand structures, and fire regimes in these woodlands and forests. Twelve fire history studies covering 27 sites indicate that historical mean fire-return intervals for low-severity fires ranged from about 5 to 33 years in these communities, and that fire frequency generally increased and fire severity was more variable with increasing elevation and moisture availability.