Wildfire Terminology

noun a bright, steady light or a fiercely burning fire

verb burn fiercely or brightly

• The firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish the blaze that engulfed the building.
• We could see the blaze from miles away, it was so bright!
• We were just chilling by the bonfire, watching the blaze dance in the night.
• Her passion for music was like a blazing fire that couldn't be extinguished.

verb to burn the surface of something with heat or fire

adjective burned or dried out by heat or fire

• The fields were scorched by the intense heat of the sun.
• I accidentally scorched the bottom of the pot while cooking.
• She scorched him with her comeback during the argument.
• The betrayal scorched her heart and left her feeling numb.

verb present participle of the verb 'scorch', meaning to burn the surface of something with sudden and intense heat

adjective extremely hot or burning

• The scorching heat wave caused a record-breaking temperature of 110 degrees.
• I can't handle this scorching weather anymore, it's too hot!
• Man, it's scorching outside, I'm sweating buckets!
• Her scorching remarks left him feeling burned and humiliated.

noun A very large, intense, and destructive wildfire that typically burns over a vast area and is difficult to control

• The firefighters are working tirelessly to contain the megafire that has been raging for days.
• Have you seen the news about the megafire out west? It's really devastating.
• That megafire is no joke, it's like a beast out of control.
• The conflict between the two countries was like a megafire, spreading rapidly and causing widespread destruction.

noun a natural phenomenon that forms when intense heat and turbulent wind conditions combine

• A fire whirl is a rare phenomenon that occurs during intense wildfires.
• Did you see that fire whirl during the forest fire yesterday? It was crazy!
• The fire whirl was spinning like a top, it was so cool!
• The chaos at the party was like a fire whirl, swirling out of control.