wildfires

plural of wildfire
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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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 wildfires Well, get ready for a couple of days of hot, dry Santa Ana winds blowing in from the desert and putting parts of Southern California at high risk for wildfires. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 The wildfires have particularly hit Amazonas and Para states over the past few days. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 The effect of wildfires on foliage are also little understood, says William Keeton, a forest ecologist at the University of Vermont. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026 More than 70 firefighters and support crews remain on assignment in Michigan's Upper Peninsula as two wildfires continue to burn. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Many of the areas Young studies are changing from dazzling emerald trees to fields of shrubs — even years after the wildfires. — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026 El Niño threatens soy and corn harvests in the south while plunging savannahs and rainforests into drought and sparking wildfires. — Dan Restrepo, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026 Senators involved in those negotiations, including Pérez, resisted ending the process which is called subrogation and dramatically increases a utility’s liability when it’s found at fault for wildfires that burn into communities. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wildfires
Noun
  • With constant blazes, shrubs cannot replenish their seed banks fast enough and, eventually, there are few seeds left for the plants to grow from after fire.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Kent said embers from burning homes can ignite nearby properties, allowing fires to spread from one structure to another and potentially contribute to larger, more destructive blazes.
    — Steve Large, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The soaring temperatures have caused raging infernos across southern France and Spain, with European wildfires burning through 56% more land than in prior years.
    — Oliver Balch, Fortune, 27 July 2026
  • From a military perspective though, this strike, and the infernos which have engulfed other Wildberries facilities, have some important lessons for the rest of the world.
    — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Noun
  • The arc of this feud is now well known to all and will no doubt be shaped into the epic poetry our descendants recite in front of bonfires long after our civilization collapses.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • That night, bonfires were set for a party that lasted into the morning.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wildfires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wildfires. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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