conflagration:
- a large and destructive fire; a large disastrous fire; a general burning
- something like a conflagration; conflict; war
Example: Every winter the city seemed to go up in a conflagration of house fires: faulty furnaces, kerosene lamps knocked over, exploding water heaters, damp wiring, bored kids playing with matches, burglars turned arsonists this year, to cover their tracks, always something. [Reference: Alvin Greenberg, How the Dead Live]
