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
The wildfire has scorched 1,800 acres near Pepperdine University prompting evacuations along the coast amid high winds with some structures destroyed.
—
Kylie Mohr, WIRED, 21 Dec. 2024
Davila explained that the past couple of months have seen minimal precipitation, not only in the Phoenix area but also in the Arizona High Country, including Payson, where one of the two active wildfires is burning.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 21 Dec. 2024
For example, a powerful AI system can assess over 100 attributes of a property—from damaged shingles to potential wildfire paths—flagging risks early.
—David Tobias, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
According to the survey, the most important environmental issues to Californians are climate change (17 percent), wildfires (15 percent) and water supply (14 percent).
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wildfire 
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.
Kylie Mohr, WIRED, 21 Dec. 2024
Davila explained that the past couple of months have seen minimal precipitation, not only in the Phoenix area but also in the Arizona High Country, including Payson, where one of the two active wildfires is burning.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 21 Dec. 2024
For example, a powerful AI system can assess over 100 attributes of a property—from damaged shingles to potential wildfire paths—flagging risks early.
—David Tobias, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
According to the survey, the most important environmental issues to Californians are climate change (17 percent), wildfires (15 percent) and water supply (14 percent).
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wildfire
Dictionary Entries Near wildfire
Cite this Entry
“Wildfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wildfire. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wildfire
noun
wild·fire
ˈwī(ə)l(d)-ˌfī(ə)r
: an uncontrollable fire that destroys a wide area
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share