brushfire noun2 •A large fire in a scrubland or prairie, as opposed to a forest fire, which occurs in forests. •[before a noun] (figurative) A war that arises suddenly and is limited in scope or area.It may be a brushfire operation or an operation on the scale of the Korean war; it will certainly not involve the home territories of the United States and Soviet Russia as theaters of hostilities. — 1958 formsbrushfires
