Word of the Day
12 February 2026
counterfire
A smaller fire lit at some distance from a wildfire, in order to develop a firebreak.
Why this one
Fighting fire with fire reads like a paradox, but the logic is fuel, not flame: burn the strip ahead of the front under your own terms and the main fire arrives at ground with nothing left to eat. Timing and wind decide whether it helps or doubles the problem.
In use
Wind's steady out of the west, so we're putting a counterfire in off the ridge track and letting the two meet in the gully.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.