Fire Shelter Inventor Says New Design Will Save Lives On Front Lines Of Wildfires

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The inventor of a new fire shelter says his design is going to save lives as the last line of defense on the front lines of a wildfire.

More than a year ago, 19 firefighters who were part of an elite hotshot crew lost their lives in the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona when their fire shelters couldn't withstand the inferno.

Ever since that tragedy, Jim Moseley has worked to come up with a better fire shelter. The Arizona inventor believes his solution, which includes technology from NASA's space shuttle, seems to hold strong.

He says the blanket can withstand head up to 3,000 degrees, which would be three times more effective than firefighters' current gear.

"I was at the Reno Fire Show last week and most of the fire chiefs on the West Coast were completely blown away.," he said.

He says the U.S. Forest Service is currently testing his product.

Cal Fire safety officer Doug Ferro says the state agency has heard of Moseley's fire blanket, but cautions it's too early to know if it performs as he claims.

"It's very intriguing anytime you're gonna put a blow torch to something that can sustain that," he said. "Before it gets implemented and put into service on firefighters—local, state, federal—it's gonna go through extensive testing."

Cal Fire's current fire shelter has been in use since 2002, and the agency says it's always looking for better options. They just aren't ready to say that this is it.

Moseley has started an Indiegogo campaign to raise $150,000 for further testing and production.