firestorm vs contention

firestorm and contention both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
firestorm	Yes	No	No	No
contention	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, contention is a hypernym of firestorm; that is, contention is a word with a broader meaning than firestorm:

firestorm: an outburst of controversy
contention: a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

Other hypernyms of firestorm include arguing, argument, contestation, controversy, disceptation, disputation, tilt.

firestorm (noun)	contention (noun)
an outburst of controversy	the act of competing as for profit or a prize
a storm in which violent winds are drawn into the column of hot air rising over a severely bombed area	a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement
	a point asserted as part of an argument