IN THE NEWS Australia Jan 6 th the bush scrub a bushfire a wildfire catch fire set fire to to scorch to burn down to spread spread like wildfire to flee to break out to cope with to put out to tackle unprecedented on edge no let-up drought hazard reduction burning The bush covers most of Australia. Australia’s bush is made up of mostly scrub. Bushfires have wreaked havoc on communities. California often experiences wildfires. Trees and bushes catch fire during droughts. A gang of youths set fire to an old car. Bushfires have scorched the land. Many homes have burnt down. The fires are spreading rapidly. News of their divorce spread like wildfire. Homeowners are having to flee their houses. The fires broke out a few weeks ago. Firefighters are struggling to cope with it. Putting out the fires is no mean feat. The government is trying to tackle the crisis. The wildfires are unprecedented. Australians are on edge at the moment. So far, there’s been no let-up in the wildfires. Drought is often a primary cause of wildfires. Hazard reduction burning is controversial. LANGUAGE definitions the bush scrub a bushfire a wildfire catch fire set fire to scorch burn down spread to spread like wildfire flee break out cope with put out tackle unprecedented on edge no let-up drought hazard wild country that has not been cleared (esp. Australia) low bushes and trees that grow in very dry soil a fire that burns in the bush and spreads quickly a fire that moves quickly and cannot be controlled to begin to burn to ignite or cause to burn to burn a surface area and change its appearance to be destroyed by fire (building) to become larger and move through an area very quickly spread (news, disease) to leave somewhere very quickly, in order to escape something to start suddenly and get worse (fire, war, disease, spots) to succeed in dealing with a difficult problem or situation to make a fire stop burning to try to deal with a difficult problem never having happened before nervous, esp. because you are expecting something unpleasant no reduction in the intensity of something a long period of dry weather when there insufficient water for life something that may be dangerous, or cause accidents or problems