brush fire

¹ American  

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.

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brush-fire ² American  

[bruhsh-fahy^uhr] / ˈbrʌʃˌfaɪər /

Or brushfire

adjective

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

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brush fire British  

noun

1. a fire in bushes and scrub

2. a minor local war

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Etymology

Origin of brush fire¹

An Americanism dating back to 1770–80

Origin of brush-fire²

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

After a 2.3-acre brush fire ignited near Janss Road in Thousand Oaks last October, a drone team flew over the blaze’s footprint and identified hot spots to help firefighters mop up that same day.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

Several lanes of the 5 Freeway were shutdown in the Tejon Pass Thursday morning after a brush fire broke out in the hills next to the freeway.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it responded to a brush fire around 9:48 p.m. on Soledad Canyon Road.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2025

Fireworks are the suspected cause of a brush fire that ignited in a hilly area of Laguna Beach on Monday afternoon, prompting evacuations orders for a few hundred homes, officials said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2025

Word of Katherine not feeling well gets around quicker than a brush fire in August.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland