flare-up

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

flare-up
    n 1: a sudden intense happening; "an outburst of heavy rain"; "a
         burst of lightning" [syn: {outburst}, {burst}, {flare-up}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Flare-up \Flare"-up`\, n.
   1. A sudden burst of anger or passion; an angry dispute.
      [Colloq.]
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A sudden bursting into flame; a flaring.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]