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

The wildfire has been burning on private land. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025

Evacuation orders have been announced for parts of Napa County, California as a wildfire continues to blaze through the area. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025

These consisted of 17 severe storms (tornado outbreaks, high wind, hailstorms), 5 tropical cyclones, and 2 winter storm-cold waves, a wildfire and 1 drought/heatwave. —Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Burn scars — areas of land scorched by wildfires — are at the greatest risk for flash flooding during the storms, the National Weather Service said. —Kate Linderman, Idaho Statesman, 25 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wildfire

• spread like wildfire

Rhymes for wildfire

• briar
• brier
• buyer
• choir
• crier
• cryer
• drier
• dryer
• eyer
• flier
• flyer
• friar

Kids Definition

wildfire

noun

wild·​fire ˈwī(ə)l(d)-ˌfī(ə)r 

: an uncontrollable fire that destroys a wide area