Two uncontained wildfires are burning in the North Cascades, where firefighters are wrapping historic structures and taking other precautions before flames potentially reach them. The Luna Fire had grown to 3,583 acres as of Sunday morning, more than doubling from an estimated 1,400 acres (5.6 square miles) Wednesday. The lightning-caused fire, burning about 10 miles north of Newhalem, remained 0% contained, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
Nearby, NPS estimated on Friday that the Border 2 Fire had grown to 6,983 acres (11 square miles). Officials confirmed Sunday that the blaze continues to slowly creep south along Little Jackass Mountain. As the fires move through remote areas of the North Cascades, crews are preparing buildings and other important sites that could be in their path. In some cases, that means wrapping entire structures in a heavy-duty reflective material designed to shield them from the intense heat and embers produced by a wildfire.
A striking photo released by the National Park Service this week shows a historic cabin in the Hozomeen area almost entirely covered in reflective structure wrap. Firefighters and “resource advisers” wrapped the cabin in case the Border 2 Fire moves through the area, NPS spokesperson Katy Hooper told KING 5.
“Structure wrap is a heat reflective material used as a tool in structure protection that reflects radiant heat and can block falling embers,” Hooper said. The U.S. Forest Service describes aluminized structure wrap as a heavy-duty, heat-reflective material that can block up to 96% of intense radiant heat. The material also helps protect vulnerable parts of a building, including vents, eaves and siding. Wrapping the Hozomeen cabin was only one part of the effort to shield it from wildfire.
KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle
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