firefighting

American  

[fahyuhr-fahyt-ing] / ˈfaɪərˌfaɪt ɪŋ /

noun

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

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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

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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

The Forest Service claims the decrease in work was primarily due to poor weather conditions for activities like prescribed burns and staff being occupied with firefighting.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

“The Cogswell and Morris Reservoirs are gone—but the lake behind the San Gabriel Dam is maintained for firefighting aircraft. I’m sure of it.”

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman