A wildfire "complex" can bundle dozens of separate blazes under a single incident commander. The federal definition, how names get picked, and why the label says nothing about danger.

Bogus Fire. Dinosaur Fire. Not Creative Fire. Behind every odd wildfire name is a strict federal rulebook, and no committee, just whoever answers the call first.

One alert gives you up to three days of notice. The other means the National Weather Service thinks conditions are already dangerous enough to spread a fire fast. Confusing the two can cost the exact hours evacuation guides say matter most.