wildfire

noun

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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

More Example Sentences Phrases Containing wildfire Learn More About wildfire

Examples of wildfire in a Sentence

The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.

Recent Examples on the Web Another resident, Gary Crittenden, warned of worsening wildfire dangers, pointing to a blaze that menaced the city’s Marmalade neighborhood a year ago. — The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 June 2022 An air quality advisory now covers large parts of Alaska’s interior due to wildfire smoke. — Nathaniel Herz, Washington Post, 23 June 2022 Speakers there discussed a program called Firewise USA, which helps homeowners prepare for wildfire. — AZCentral.com, 23 June 2022 As in the modern examples, a combination of surface runoff and wildfire ash may well have led to nutrient influx into late-Permian waterways and the proliferation of deadly bacteria and algae. — Chris Mays, Scientific American, 23 June 2022 Julie Johnson covers the changing climate, sea level rise and strategies to stem California's wildfire crisis. — Julie Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 June 2022 Markham said the cooperative has been bolstering its wildfire preparedness plans since 2018. — oregonlive, 22 June 2022 The nearby Wupatki National Monument – a center of trade for Indigenous communities around the 1100s – was evacuated because of wildfire twice this year. — Felicia Fonseca, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 June 2022 The nearby Wupatki National Monument — a center of trade for Indigenous communities around the 1100s — was evacuated because of wildfire twice this year. — Felicia Fonseca, ajc, 20 June 2022 See More

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.