wildfire

noun

wild·​fire ˈwī(-ə)ld-ˌfī(-ə)r 

1

: a sweeping and destructive conflagration especially in a wilderness or a rural area

2

: greek fire

3

: a phosphorescent glow (such as ignis fatuus or fox fire)

4

: a destructive leaf-spot disease of tobacco caused by several strains of a bacterium (Pseudomonas syringae)

Phrases

like wildfire

: very rapidly

the news spread like wildfire

Examples of wildfire in a Sentence

The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.

Recent Examples on the Web

And that reality is that the U.S. just endured the hottest winter on record, which featured what, according to Yale’s Climate Connections blog, appears to be the largest wildfire on record in the history of Texas. —Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2024

Roach agreed, adding the insurer was one large wildfire away from needing that emergency action. —Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024

Beavers aren’t a silver bullet for California’s wildfire problems, experts warn. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024

Wine-souring smoke from wildfires, grape-shriveling drought and global warming have all been playing an increasingly detrimental role in state vineyards for at least the last decade. —Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024

Jayda Lum Lung will dance a traditional hula in honor of Lahaina wildfire victims at Hawaii’s biggest hula competition of the year. —Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 30 Mar. 2024

The particles, which are 2.5 microns in diameter, are sourced mainly to smoke from wildfires, fireplaces and wood-burning ovens, but burning coal and some manufacturing processes also produce the pollution. —The Arizona Republic, 26 Mar. 2024

The federal government accidentally set the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon wildfire. —Patrick Lohmann, ProPublica, 25 Mar. 2024

Though the lake was calm that day, smoke from wildfires burning in Wisconsin was hanging in the air, and eventually the ships ended up on collision course. —Stephen Smith, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wildfire

• like wildfire
• spread like wildfire

Kids Definition

wildfire

noun

wild·​fire ˈwī(ə)l(d)-ˌfī(ə)r 

: an uncontrollable fire that destroys a wide area