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wildfire
wildfire Wildfire near the freeway in San Bernardino National Forest, southern California.

fire

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fire, rapid burning of combustible material with the evolution of heat and usually accompanied by flame. It is one of humanity’s essential tools, control of which helped start it on the path toward civilization. The original source of fire undoubtedly was lightning, and such fortuitously ignited blazes remained the only source of fire for aeons. For some years Peking man, about 500,000 bce, was believed to be the earliest unquestionable user of fire, with evidence...

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