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
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)
Examples of wildfire in a Sentence
The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.
Recent Examples on the Web
Smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted into Kansas City on Friday morning, raising health concerns about the area’s air quality.
—
Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2025
Smoke from wildfires in the southwest is also expected to cloud the Front Range on Friday and reduce air quality.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 1 Aug. 2025
Land area burned by wildfires varies by state, with more burns in the Western part of the country than in the East.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
Last week, Canadian wildfire smoke blanketed Wisconsin and caused the Air Quality Index to reach the unhealthy level for sensitive groups.
—Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wildfire
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Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2025
Smoke from wildfires in the southwest is also expected to cloud the Front Range on Friday and reduce air quality.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 1 Aug. 2025
Land area burned by wildfires varies by state, with more burns in the Western part of the country than in the East.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
Last week, Canadian wildfire smoke blanketed Wisconsin and caused the Air Quality Index to reach the unhealthy level for sensitive groups.
—Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wildfire
Cite this Entry
“Wildfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wildfire. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wildfire
noun
wild·fire
ˈwī(ə)l(d)-ˌfī(ə)r
: an uncontrollable fire that destroys a wide area
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