Aluminum wrap used to protect homes in California wildfires

By SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Aluminum wraps designed to protect homes from flames are getting attention as wildfires burn in California. During a fire near Lake Tahoe, some wrapped houses survived while nearby homes were destroyed. The material resembles tin foil from the kitchen drawer but is modeled after the tent-like shelters that wildland firefighters use as a last resort to protect themselves when trapped by flames. The wraps aren’t widely used because they’re expensive and difficult to install, though they have saved some properties, including historic cabins managed by the U.S. government. They’re also being used this week to protect the world’s largest tree, other giant sequoias and buildings in a national park in California.