wildfire

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noun wild·fire \ ˈwī(-ə)ld-ˌfī(-ə)r \

Definition of wildfire

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)

— like wildfire

:very rapidly

the news spread like wildfire

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Examples of wildfire in a Sentence

The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.

Recent Examples of wildfire from the Web

The National Weather Service’s forecast for thunderstorms across the Treasure Valley also created concerns about wildfires igniting due to lightning.

— ruth brown, idahostatesman, "Thunderstorm causes 3,600 power outages across Boise," 30 Aug. 2017
Safety issues with drones in emergency zones have arisen multiple times in the past, mostly when they were spotted flying over wildfires in California and other Western states.

— alan levin, Bloomberg.com, "Private Drones Ordered to Stay Away From Harvey Rescue Efforts," 29 Aug. 2017
Last year, Anheuser-Busch shipped cans of water to those affected by Hurricane Matthew, floods in Louisiana and wildfires in California.

— sean rossman, USA TODAY, "Anheuser-Busch donates 155,000 cans of water for Harvey relief," 29 Aug. 2017
In April 2011, then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry, R, blasted Obama for declaring Alabama an emergency disaster zone after tornadoes killed 200 while the president did not do the same for Texas when wildfires raged across 2 million acres that month.

— david nakamura, chicagotribune.com, "President Trump's focus on Hurricane Harvey intensifies as monster storm pounds Texas," 26 Aug. 2017
In the books, Thoros of Myr lights his sword with wildfire, while Beric uses his own blood (and some magic) to light the flame.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Game of Thrones: 11 Burning Questions About White Walkers, Dragons, and More," 20 Aug. 2017
The heat wave is increasing the risk that wildfires will break out across the region, too.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "Extreme Heat Wave Is Cooking the Pacific Northwest," 3 Aug. 2017
This also isn't the first time Cersei has channeled the Mad King; Aerys was famously into wildfire, which Cersei used to blow up the Great Sept of Baelor in the season six finale.

— eliza thompson, Cosmopolitan, "Game of Thrones Is Getting Close to Confirming This Lannister Fan Theory," 1 Aug. 2017
A GoPro user in southeastern France recorded an unusual sight: four CL-415 water bombers taking on water to fight wildfires burning out of control in the region.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Watch These Firefighting Planes Dive in Close to Scoop Some Water," 25 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wildfire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of wildfire

12th century

WILDFIRE Defined for English Language Learners

wildfire

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noun

Definition of wildfire for English Language Learners

: a fire in a wild area (such as a forest) that is not controlled and that can burn a large area very quickly

WILDFIRE Defined for Kids

wildfire

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noun wild·fire \ ˈwīld-ˌfīr \

Definition of wildfire for Students

:an uncontrollable fire that destroys a wide area

Learn More about wildfire

See words that rhyme with wildfire Spanish Central: Translation of wildfire Nglish: Translation of wildfire for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wildfire

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