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)

see also:

like wildfire

Examples of wildfire in a Sentence

The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.

Recent Examples on the Web

Less than an hour after the first warning that a wildfire was headed for her suburban street, Boulder County resident Tawnya Somauroo's home was in ashes. — Lindsay Whitehurst, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026

This would give local managers greater flexibility to address wildfire risk, forest health, watersheds, timber production and local economic conditions. — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

In 2011, the Wallow Fire burned over half a million acres of forest in New Mexico and Arizona, the biggest wildfire in modern Arizona history. — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Wildfires California created first-in-the-nation standards to test and remediate homes damaged by wildfire smoke and to require insurance companies to pay for associated costs. — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wildfire

• like 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