A fire is a blaze. Fire, when it's going strong and burning bright, is blazing. The greater the blaze, the harder a fire is to put out. You can also use this word for other types of brightness or shining.
Iron golems can be used to kill blazes, but there are several drawbacks: They do get set on fire by the Blaze's fireballs, and can also take melee attacks. As with wolves, a splash potion of Fire Resistance can help. Blazes won't drop the Blaze Rod unless a player deals the killing blow.