Great Read, This study investigates the impact of fires on soil magnetic properties, focusing on the magnetic enhancement of plant ashes after burning. Samples from various plant species in Iceland and Germany were analyzed for rock magnetic and geochemical characteristics. The results show that mass-normalized saturation magnetization values increase with the extent of burning in most samples. However, when normalized to the loss on ignition, fewer than half of ash and charcoal samples display magnetic enhancement. Elemental analyses suggest that magnetic phases in plant ash largely originate from inorganic sources like soil and atmospheric dust. The study emphasizes the variability in soil magnetic response to burning, influenced by fire intensity, local dust and soil particle composition on leaf surfaces, and vegetation types. The findings contribute to understanding the complexity of soil magnetism in relation to vegetation burning.