brush fire: Meaning and Definition of

brush' fire"

1. a fire in an area of bushes, shrubs, or brush, as distinct from a forest fire.
2. any small but persistent problem, as within a large organization, a department of a government, or between nations: border skirmishes and other international brush fires.

brush-fire

1. limited in scope, area, or importance, as some labor disputes or local skirmishes.