wildfire

as in blaze
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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wildfire While The Duchess of Sussex's show was initially supposed to come out in January, her release date was postponed until March 4 due to the wildfires that were destroying Los Angeles earlier this year. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025 Researchers found that for every 1 microgram per cubic meter (µg/m3) increase in three-year average wildfire PM2.5 concentration, the odds of a dementia diagnosis increased by 18 percent. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025 Forecasters expect the heaviest rain to fall Thursday and Friday in Southern California, where thousands of acres of land burned in a series of deadly wildfires last month is vulnerable to landslides and debris runoff. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025 Unprecedented wildfires in California burned over 16,000 homes and structures in January. Marie Owens Powell, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wildfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wildfire
Noun
  • By Sunday afternoon, firefighting crews were focused on putting out hotspots and preventing flareups from the previous day’s blazes.
    Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2025
  • No major injuries have been reported in connection with the blaze.
    Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN, 9 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The inferno that raged across the Palisades on Jan. 7 took thousands of homes and several lives.
    Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Despite tens of billions of dollars spent so far in California alone to reduce the risk of electric ignition, last month's infernos suggest that much more needs to be done to make sure the electric grid does not contribute to more tragedy.
    Jeff Young, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • As anyone who has ever tried to build a campfire knows, drier wood burns easier than wet or damp wood.
    Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025
  • Her mattresses, rugs and couches reeked like a chemical campfire.
    Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Families huddled around bonfires against the winter cold.
    Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 26 Jan. 2025
  • Families huddled in the streets around bonfires against the winter cold.
    Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wildfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wildfire. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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