Dry lightning is a lightning strike that:

Dry lightning refers specifically to lightning that occurs in conditions where there is little to no precipitation. This phenomenon is critical to understand, especially in wildfire management and risk assessment, because dry lightning can strike trees and other flammable materials without any accompanying rain that would typically extinguish potential fires. As a result, dry lightning can ignite wildfires, contributing significantly to fire danger situations, especially in arid or drought-stricken areas.

The other options relate to different characteristics of lightning that do not align with the term "dry lightning." For example, lightning that does not contact the ground is generally referred to as intracloud or cloud-to-cloud lightning. Lightning that does not cause fire would contradict the primary concern associated with dry lightning, which is its potential to ignite fires. Lastly, while thunder is typically associated with lightning, dry lightning can still produce thunder, particularly if it is within close proximity; thus, not being accompanied by thunder does not define this type of lightning.