The California Wildfires Are Hot Enough To Melt Aluminum

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Twenty-one people are dead and around 142,000 acres of land have been burned in California wine country since the start of wildfires there that began on Sunday and have continued burning for days. In their wake is a sight that’s becoming increasingly familiar: the burned-out carcasses of homes, land, and cars, some of which were missing their rims after they melted in the fire.

Aluminum melts at 1,221 degrees Fahrenheit while wildfires can burn up to to 1,500 degrees fahrenheit, more than enough to lay waste to your rims, a reasonably common wildfire casualty.

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Authorities said Wednesday that the fire was “zero percent contained,” while thousands of firefighters continued to battle the blaze. Stay safe out there.