► fire the flames, light, and heat produced when something burns, especially in an uncontrolled way: The incredible heat of the fire melted the glass windows. The building was destroyed by fire.
► flame the bright burning gas that you see coming from a fire: Flames were coming out of the upstairs windows. The candle flames flickered with an orange light.
► spark a very small bright piece of burning material that comes from a fire: The fire crackled and shot sparks into the air.
► blaze a big fire that spreads and is difficult to control. Used especially in writing and news reports: Firefighters struggled to control the blaze.
► inferno a very big, hot fire that destroys everything. Used especially in writing: The building was an inferno – nobody could have escaped.
► conflagration formal a very large fire over a large area that destroys a lot of buildings, forests, etc.: The conflagration destroyed half the city.
► bonfire a large outdoor fire made especially to celebrate something: On graduation night, we built a big bonfire on the beach.
► campfire a fire made outdoors by people who are camping: They sat around the campfire, singing songs.
► wildfire a fire that moves quickly through a forest or natural area, and that is difficult to control: Wildfires were burning in the mountains near Los Angeles.