猛火(もうか)

もうか
noun
raging fire; fierce blaze
1. raging fire; fierce blaze; inferno
An intensely burning, violent fire that is difficult to control. Used in news reporting and literary contexts to describe large-scale or destructive fires.
猛火(もうか)が建物(たてもの)を包(つつ)んだ。
A raging fire engulfed the building.
消防士(しょうぼうし)たちは猛火(もうか)に立(た)ち向(む)かった。
The firefighters confronted the fierce blaze.
強風(きょうふう)にあおられた猛火(もうか)は数時間(すうじかん)にわたって燃(も)え続(つづ)け、住宅(じゅうたく)数十棟(すうじゅっとう)が全焼(ぜんしょう)した。
Fanned by strong winds, the raging fire burned for hours and dozens of homes were completely destroyed.

Compound of 猛(もう) (fierce, violent) + 火(か) (fire). A literary or journalistic word for an intense, uncontrolled fire.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 猛火(もうか)に包(つつ)まれる: to be engulfed in raging fire
  • 猛火(もうか)が燃(も)え広(ひろ)がる: a fierce fire spreads
  • 猛火(もうか)と闘(たたか)う: to fight a raging fire
  • 猛火(もうか)を鎮(しず)める: to extinguish a fierce blaze

REGISTER:
Primarily used in written language, news reporting, and literary contexts. In everyday conversation, 大火事(おおかじ) or 火事(かじ) would be more common.

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 大火(たいか): large fire, conflagration — emphasizes scale
  • 火災(かさい): fire (as an incident) — neutral, official term
  • 業火(ごうか): hellfire — literary, often figurative
general
Added 2026.4.3 5:25
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