The lifetime of stressed silica fibers is normally limited by moisture‐enhanced stress corrosion cracking known as static fatigue. We have developed a metal‐jacketing technique that provides a hermetic protection of the glass fiber surface. Fibers protected in this fashion appear to be immune to normal static fatigue effects. Lifetimes of stressed silica fibers with hermetic jackets have been observed to be more than five orders of magnitude longer than those of conventional plastic‐coated fibers.