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High-tech firefighting: what's hot now, what's on drawing board

Every year wildfires scorch millions of acres of US land and cost the nation billions of dollars. We still know little about how wildland fires spread, and they can take weeks to bring under control. Here's a look at seven cutting-edge technologies that are helping to fill in the gaps in firefighting capability.

5. Fire shelters

Wikimedia Commons
Fire shelters have helped saved the lives of at least 300 firefighters since 1977, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.

Wildland firefighters carry portable fire shelters – as a last resort. These pop-up tents, in use since 1977, are made of aluminum foil bonded with a woven silica cloth and are designed to reflect radiant heat. An inner fiberglass layer helps to prevent heat from reradiating to the person inside the shelter.

Fire shelters are intended to help firefighters survive when planned escape routes or safety zones are unexpectedly inaccessible. Firefighters are trained to scrape any brush that may fuel the fire away from a 4- by 8-foot deployment area and to lie face down underneath the fire tent.

These shelters have saved at least 300 lives since they became mandatory gear in 1977, but they are not 100 percent effective. The shelters can reflect radiant heat, but they do not sustain direct contact with flames very well. The US Forest Service is currently testing new shelters that can better withstand direct contact with flames.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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