start a fire

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The submarine vanished on November 15, 2017 after reporting that seawater had entered the ventilation system, causing a battery on the vessel to short-circuit and start a fire.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

“Now everything is so wet it is hard to even start a fire with wood,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 13, 2025

"Because there is no cooking gas, no food. When we want to have a cup of tea, I collect leaves to start a fire."

From BBC • May 2, 2025

Police said an emergency dispatcher received a call shortly before 7 a.m. about a man trying to start a fire in the parking lot of the Banfield Pet Hospital at 5380 Ralston St.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2024

The plan, as Nelson explained it, is they start a fire in a huge circle around the big hill behind the village.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver