a five-alarm fire

five-alarm fire

1. A fire that is so large or intense that it requires the presence of many firefighting units to try to contain it. A five-alarm fire is the reason we heard all of those sirens last night
2. Someone or something that is very intense or stressful. Boy, this project has really become a five-alarm fire with all the other problems it's created.
See also: fire
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

a five-alarm fire

verb
See a three-alarm fire
See also: fire
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • five-alarm fire
  • three-alarm fire
  • a three-alarm fire
  • under fire
  • have a/(one's) finger on the button
  • draw (someone's) fire
  • draw fire
  • draw someone's fire
  • put out a/the fire
  • a fire under (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
Over 200 firefighters battled a five-alarm fire in a six-story building on First Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets in New York's East Village on Wednesday.
Firefighters Injured While Battling 5-Alarm Fire In New York Building