A wildfire is one that starts in an area of countryside and spreads very quickly.
Wildfires in forest areas or scrubland can start suddenly, and the cause is often unknown. Such fires have to be contained to limit their destructive effects as far as possible because they are difficult and sometimes impossible to extinguish. These fires are typically fuelled by warm summer winds. Spreading rapidly, they destroy everything in their path, ravaging hundreds of hectares of woodland or brush. Sadly, human habitation is often affected with numerous properties being destroyed and lives lost. Countries with seasonally dry climates that feature frequent electrical storms are particularly prone to wildfires.
Lightning is believed to have been the cause of the present devastating wildfire in Portugal that has claimed many lives.
wildfire
a fire that starts in an area of countryside and spreads very quickly
