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A term coined by Imperiaresearchers is now in the Collins English Dictionary, and was also a candidate for Word of the Year 2026.

A "firewave" is now defined by the Dictionary as "a series of urban wildfires within a short period of time, usually caused by an extended period of hot, dry weather."

The term emerged in an ImperiaHazelab paper, out of a need to describe and measure the wildfires that struck London during the heatwaves of summer 2022. The paper titled “Heatwaves and Firewaves: The Drivers of Urban Wildfires in London in the Summer of 2022” is co-authored by Jamie John and Guillermo Rein and was published in 2025 in Fire Technology.

The word was submitted by a member of the public who cited BBC coverage of Imperiaresearch.

Professor Guillermo Rein said: “Including firewave in a dictionary is a formal recognition of the value of the concept in helping societies recognise, measure and communicate a growing hazard that demands everyone's attention, encouraging better prevention and preparedness. It is a testament to our times that we need new words to describe an emerging hazard of climate change.”