firefighting

American  

[fahyuhr-fahyt-ing] / ˈfaɪərˌfaɪt ɪŋ /

noun

1. the profession or process of containing and putting out destructive fires.

---

adjective

1. engaged, involved, or used in containing and putting out destructive fires.

firefighting British  

/ ˈfaɪəˌfaɪtɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the occupation of attempting to control and extinguish fires

   2. ( as modifier )

      firefighting equipment

2. the practice of reacting to urgent problems as they arise, as opposed to planning for the future

---

Example Sentences

He may exaggerate about the toothaches, but the city routinely deploys firefighting crews to respond to 911 medical calls that could be handled by emergency medical technicians at much lower cost.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

When the wildfires come, who will step in but California’s renowned firefighting agency, CalFire?

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

GEO Group has no firefighting capability and in the event of a fire, it would be up to Newark to respond.

From Salon • May 30, 2026

In a statement, the Australian government said action was being lodged in the Federal Court, where it alleges 3M knew about the environmental risks of the firefighting foam and did not disclose them.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

Arrangements were being made to bring summer firefighting equipment, stored for the winter in Anacortes, back to the island today.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson