wildfire

Etymology

From Old English wilde fȳr. Equivalent to wild + fire.

noun

1. A rapidly spreading fire, especially one occurring in a wildland area.
2. (historical) Greek fire, Byzantine fire.
3. (dermatology) A spreading disease of the skin, particularly erysipelas.
4. (figurative) Something that acts or spreads quickly and uncontrollably.
   So, it appears a revolution has happened and a very unexpected one. Of course it was only a matter of time before it happened. With WiFi connectivity spreading faster than wildfire and a laptop or tablet in one’s bag, what’s the point of a mobile nowadays? 18 January 2015, Monty Munford, “What’s the point of carrying a mobile phone nowadays?”, in The Daily Telegraph
   “It was my own personal watch and I wanted to change the face,” she said in an interview during a recent business trip to New York. “I started wearing it, and it was wildfire — everybody wanted one.” 2022-12-09, Rachel Felder, “These Timex Dials Were Designed With a Jeweler’s Eye”, in The New York Times