Back fire \Back fire\
(a) A fire started ahead of a forest or prairie fire to burn
only against the wind, so that when the two fires meet
both must go out for lack of fuel.
(b) A premature explosion in the cylinder of a gas or oil
engine during the exhaust or the compression stroke,
tending to drive the piston in a direction reverse to
that in which it should travel; also, an explosion in the
exhaust passages of such ah engine.