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A cabin in North Cascades National Park wrapped in a protective foil to prevent it burning down from a forest fire. (thelemmy.club)
submitted 3 weeks ago by to c/interestingasfuck@lemmy.world
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[–] 33 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

I wonder what that foil is made out of. I'm going to assume aluminum, and I'm going to further assume that whoever did it knows what they're doing and I don't. Because otherwise I can tell you that aluminum foil (and cans, and water bottles, and... other objects) will readily melt in an ordinary camp fire. I have to assume a forest fire will reach similar temperatures. Maybe it's just to keep the embers off, or the fire is expected to sweep through too fast for it to be a problem.

For whatever it's worth I use a stainless steel foil to wrap my knives when I heat treat them and that stuff readily handles the 1875° F or so temperature I do it at. Aluminum definitely would not cut it at those temperatures. Wrapping an entire cabin in that stuff would surely cost a fortune.

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  • [–] 35 points 3 weeks ago

    So I doubt it's to make it melt proof, but probably to prevent a stray spark from lighting the whole thing. Like wind blows sparks around, and the cabin is probably a lot more of a risk than trees if they're not too dry.

    Likely preventative like a water resistant watch, not "submerge in water" proof

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  • [–] 16 points 3 weeks ago

    Aluminized structure wrap, and yes it does work.

    It doesn't melt until about 2000F, which is about the temp of a forest fire itself. With a bit of gap around (like shown in this picture), temps are going to be decently below that.

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  • [–] 11 points 3 weeks ago* (2 children)

    I think thermal blankets are usually mylar. I've no idea what temperature mylar fails at, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's lower than that of a full throttle forest fire. I've seen video of that shit in action and it's scary both how fast it moves and how violent the interior is. Hundreds of tons of fuel per acre, all going up at once, it's like an ongoing explosion as the combusting matter crowds itself for space.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    I've no idea what temperature mylar fails at, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's lower than that of a full throttle forest fire.

    Typically meant for 300F and below. Melts at just a bit below 500F. Forest fires are several times that temp (like 1600F to 2000F).

    This isnt mylar though, mentioned elsewhere its called aluminized structure wrap.

    Aside from some of the basics I mentioned about it though, I have no direct experience using it. It was discussed in FF training.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 child)

    My first guess was that the reflective surface would act as a thermal barrier against ambient temperature. If that's just the outer layer it may have some actual insulation built-in too. Considering the use-case it'd be reasonable to engineer for an increased tolerance to some hazard whose benefit compounds alongside other precaution and prep.

    i.e. the protective material's melt point only has to be a bit higher than the shielded material's flash point for the product to be effective as-advertised. It won't save the cabin if ambient temp hits ignition or combustion temp but the cost:benefit may still make sense.

    Searching for "aluminized structure wrap" provides some results which seem to confirm this.

    What was the context of your discussion during firefighting training? Accurate to the marketing copy? Less situationally useful than advertised but still better than nothing? Completely worthless?

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago

    Less than marketing, much more than nothing. If you do nothing other than the wrap, there's a chance it'll work out. If you add in appropriate prep, such as removing the brush (remove anything like pine needles from gutters, remove all leaves, etc) for at least 30', then make sure everything around for another 75' is cut low, mow it down. That will really keep the heat down to a safe level for the wrap.

    Also smart to keep the home itself in mind. Roofs should be metal, composite, tile, etc but not woof shingle. Gaps should be checked for and sealed so embers dont get in. Chimneys need to be screened, along with any vents (there are FD reviewed vents too, any state with a wildfire issue has recommendations).

    Anyway, yeah, they do work, but it pays to be aware of all the ways to protect yourself/your home. It'll definitely improve the chances that temps will stay in a range they can be dealt with.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

    Which is in and of itself flammable. Truly, a puzzle just what the devil is going on here.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago*

    Sparks and embers. And whether it's aluminum, aluminized structure wrapping, insulation, or mylar, it'll reflect the heat away from the side of the cabin for a lot longer than no covering. Toss in sprinklers, and clearing of bushes and other scrub nearby, and I'd say this cabin stands a far better chance of survival than it does without.

    It's not going to withstand a 24 hour firestorm directly over it, but I'd rather spend $3k trying to save everything than lose it all because I didn't try.

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