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• brush fire
  brush fire

  noun

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

  adjective

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

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

See Examples For:

brush fire brush-fire

Reports in French media say the blaze, near one of the parking lots at the airport, originated from a brush fire and then spread to a building.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

A brush fire erupted on the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties amid sizzling temperatures Thursday afternoon, prompting evacuation warnings near Lake Piru.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

A small brush fire broke out in Encino on Tuesday afternoon, spurring a brief evacuation warning for areas surrounding the fire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

A brush fire broke out Monday in the suburbs of Los Angeles, spreading rapidly and prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders for thousands of residents.

From Barron's ● May 19, 2026

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

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

This approach would mimic the brush-fire pattern of the epidemic at the moment.

From Washington Post

They have another prime reason: after ten years of secret planning, the U.S. is on the verge of developing a true "clean bomb," with enormous implications for both brush-fire war and big-war tactics.

From Time Magazine Archive

First is the traditional American hankering for outdoor life, perhaps heightened by the brush-fire spread of urbanization.

From Time Magazine Archive

Now that the cold war is over, Third World conflicts no longer figure as potential victories or losses for the U.S. or the Soviet Union, ironically making the world safer for brush-fire wars and insurrections.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Here's a basket, drop 'em in, and I'll run like a brush-fire through the town and across the old bridge, and hide 'em as safe as a weasel's nap."

From Twilight Stories by Sidney, Margaret