Historic Cabins Wrapped to Protect Them From California Fire

FRESNO, CALIFORNIA—Firefighters in central California are using a wrap resembling tin foil to protect historic buildings from most of the radiant heat and burning embers caused by wild fires. Similar wrap is used by fire crews for personal safety in an emergency. Five cabins at the Placer Guard Station in the Sierra National Forest that are threatened by the French Fire were covered with the wrap. “It’s pretty simple, you just wrap the house in a shingle-type fashion so it’s overlapping going down so the stuff that goes down doesn’t get into the cracks,” U.S. Forest Service archaeologist Ward Stanley told ABC News. Drought conditions are causing the fire to burn hotter than a typical wildfire. The French Fire covers more than 13,700 acres and is about 60 percent contained.