Tinderbox - As Metaphor

As Metaphor

In conventional usage, the term "tinderbox" refers to something that is so dry that it could catch on fire with the slightest provocation, perhaps even spontaneously like a forest fire. It is also used to describe a potentially volatile or violent situation. For instance, a prison in which there is unrest and the potential for a riot, said prison could be said to be 'a tinderbox of violence'.