Last week, as the Caldor Fire swept through the area around Lake Tahoe, one viral story emerged as a beacon of hope: A cabin that appeared to be wrapped in aluminum foil withstood the blaze. But does that actually work?

The San Francisco Chronicle first shared photos of the cabin and its seemingly miraculous survival last week. The paper reported the cabin was one of few to survive the fire in a forested area near Sierra-at-Tahoe, and added that it had drawn comparisons to a baked potato.

The difference between a baked potato and a house, of course, is that one is meant to be exposed to heat and one isn’t—and wildfires are a lot hotter than ovens. There were immediately questions about how this home pulled off the wrapping technique. One man, Firezat founder Dan Hirning, told the Chronicle that his company sells similar-looking wraps and they’re “not tin foil,” but rather fire shields that have aluminum on the outside and woven threads of polyester and fiberglass on the inside.

While the virality of the cabin’s survival gave Hirning a chance to share his unique expertise, it wasn’t confirmed that the cabin in question used Firezat at all; there are a variety of these fire blankets or aluminized structure wraps on the market. For those who live in an area where forest fires are common, they can be a real saving grace—provided homeowners have enough time to stick them on. The process involves thousands of staples and isn’t ideal when a fire is imminently bearing down on a property.

So, what can you do to avoid a fire or minimize damage from one? Let’s get into that. 

If you live in an area prone to forest fires, keep firefighting tools nearby, always dispose of hot or once-burning things—like charcoal—carefully, drown any fires you start, extinguish anything smoking, and obey local laws about open fires.

In the event of forest fires nearby, head to a room you can close off from outside air, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Set up a portable air cleaner, wear a respirator (and ask your doctor if it’s safe to do so), avoid using candles or gas and, basically, check this info sheet.

The American Red Cross has some tips for preventing a house fire: Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, test them every month, change their batteries when necessary, and make a fire escape plan with your family. If a fire does happen, get out of the house and stay out of it. Call for help, but never go back in for anything or anyone.

Here’s where the aluminum foil compulsion would come in. You might want to save your stuff, which is reasonable, and maybe you saw last week’s viral story and imagined yourself putting foil on your possessions in case of a fire or as one approaches.

The possessions you care most about should be part of your fire escape plan. Keep them together, ideally in a to-go bag. Consider a firesafe, too; they’re designed to withstand infernos. Again, never run into a burning home to get anything. Fire can damage the structure of the building and cause areas to collapse, or you could inhale smoke and be incapacitated. Instead, call for help as fast as you can. Only trained firefighters—with special tools and copious water supply—can help get the blaze under control, maybe saving your belongings or whole house in the process.

The bottom line is there are many ways to prevent and deal with fires, but aluminum foil is not one of them, no matter what some guy said on Twitter. Aluminum foil can withstand a temperature up to 1,220 degrees Fahrenheit, which is great for cooking, but a house fire can get up to 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit in about three and a half minutes and can reach up to 1,500 degrees.

Here’s a little good news, at least: Your nice jewelry, silverware, silver coins, filing cabinets, pots and pans, and stone furniture might not be destroyed, so once the blaze is totally out, go back and look for them.

This article was originally published on Sept. 15, 2021 and was updated on Sept. 16, 2021 to correct factual errors.