as in blazes
a fire in a wild area (such as a forest) that is not controlled and that can burn a large area very quickly
The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.
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Recent Examples of wildfires
Bass wrote in a letter announcing the plan that Angelenos are already experiencing global warming in the form of more intense wildfires and heat waves.
—
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Billy Crystal will return to Broadway this fall in a very intimate one-man show that will take the audience into his family's longtime Los Angeles home that was leveled in wildfires.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Wildfire seasons peak during the spring and fall, with 96% of wildfires in the state caused by humans.
—Bridget Byrne, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2026
This creates a buffer that protects structures and prevents the spread of wildfires.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
Lingering economic impacts from the 2025 wildfires were another major concern.
—City News Service, Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Human activities cause many wildfires, prompting land managers to implement burn bans and public land closures for safety.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026
Surging repair costs don’t just hit victims of wildfires that destroyed roughly 12,000 structures in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
All active wildfires are shown.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Billy Crystal will return to Broadway this fall in a very intimate one-man show that will take the audience into his family's longtime Los Angeles home that was leveled in wildfires.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Wildfire seasons peak during the spring and fall, with 96% of wildfires in the state caused by humans.
—Bridget Byrne, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2026
This creates a buffer that protects structures and prevents the spread of wildfires.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
Lingering economic impacts from the 2025 wildfires were another major concern.
—City News Service, Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Human activities cause many wildfires, prompting land managers to implement burn bans and public land closures for safety.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026
Surging repair costs don’t just hit victims of wildfires that destroyed roughly 12,000 structures in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
All active wildfires are shown.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wildfires
Noun
-
No one has been injured in the blazes, the latest of which caused minor damage to a north London synagogue on Saturday night.—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
However, as temperatures rise and snowpack remains low, experts said conditions taking shape increasingly resemble those that in recent years have fueled some of the region's most destructive blazes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Now, infernos sweep through populous towns and cities.—
Susie Neilson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Many of them have ended in chaos, including arrests, a bloody head wound from an LAPD projectile, bonfires of garbage and ricocheting fireworks.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Evenings, enjoy live music, beach bonfires, and a Junkanoo-style street parade.—
Erin Gifford,
Southern Living,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wildfires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wildfires. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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