brush fire

¹

noun

1. a fire in an area of bushes, shrubs, or brush, as distinct from a forest fire.

2. any small but persistent problem, as within a large organization, a department of a government, or between nations.

   border skirmishes and other international brush fires.

brush-fire

²

Or brush·fire

[bruhsh-fahy^uhr]

adjective

1. limited in scope, area, or importance, as some labor disputes or local skirmishes.

brush fire

noun

1. a fire in bushes and scrub

2. a minor local war

Word History and Origins

Origin of brush fire¹

An Americanism dating back to 1770–80

Origin of brush fire²

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

As for the Paltadena conflagrations, heat and wind were major factors, and in the Palisades fire, 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht was charged with setting the brush fire that eventually set off the killer blaze.

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Lachman brush fire and stop it reigniting six days later into the devastating Palisades fire that killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures.

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October is typically the peak of Southern California’s fire season, when Santa Ana winds paired with dry conditions after summer allow flames to explode into major brush fires.

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Prosecutors allege that Rinderknecht “maliciously set” a brush fire just after midnight on Jan. 1 that eventually grew into the deadly inferno.

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A brush fire ignited near homes in San Diego County on Monday afternoon, damaging multiple structures and prompting evacuation orders in the surrounding community of Lakeside.

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