Fire Safes: What do you need to protect your Valuables?

No one wants to think that a fire will happen in their own home, but it does happen and more often than one would think. Most often it is accidental. I remember as a child a fire in my own home. My Dad had a deep fat fryer plugged in getting hot (my Mom is English, so had fish and chips for dinner every Saturday night). He was getting ready to go pick up my Mom from work, was distracted by a phone call and forgot to unplug the fryer before leaving. There were four of us kids at home when the kitchen caught fire. We were fine, there was a quick response from the fire department and damage was contained. We got to live at a hotel for six weeks, they had a swimming pool so it was cool for a 10 year old. But we were lucky. Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the US and the leading cause of home fire injuries.

Other causes of home fires include heating mishaps, tobacco products, and candles (there is a difference in the quality of candles!).  The last main reason for home fires is children playing with fire.  When fires strike a home, it is quick and devastating. So most personal things of importance in a home should be protected from fire.

One of the best ways to protect important family valuables and documents is with fire safes.  I was wondering what the difference was between a fireproof safe and a fire-resistant safe, and discovered that there is no such thing as a fireproof safe! Any material can suffer damage from heat and fire if exposed to a high enough temperature for a long enough time. But some materials are good at resisting extreme heat and fire for a limited period of time, so fire safes constructed with these material are designated as “fire resistant”.

Average home fires peak at a temperature of 800 - 1200 degrees Fahrenheit (duration and peak temperature varies with size and construction material of home). Estimated time for firemen to get a home fire under control is 15 - 30 minutes. Since paper chars at 402°F, to protect important documents, a fire safes internal temperature needs to remain below 350°F. So at a minimum, a good fire resistant safe will keep the internal temperature below 350°F when exposed to a fire for 30 minutes that reaches a peak temperature of 1200°F.

Fire safes undergo severe independent laboratory tests, being subjected to extremely hot fires for a specified period of time (either a 1 1/2 hour, 1 or 2 hours), and some to fire impact tests (simulating a safe being blown up or falling through burnt floor boards). There are different degrees of UL classification (standardized rating earned from the Underwriters Laboratories), but to earn a rating the documents stored inside must remain completely undamaged. DIfferent companies use different type of tests, but the standardized UL rating allows different brands to be compared on equal footing. Most companies test their fire safes by simulating a house fire using a special furnace, others will actually use a simulated home fire to test their safes.

Usually, the higher quality (hence more expensive) fire safes will protect your important items for a longer time at higher temperatures. Decide what is best for you. For most, fire safes protecting against an average home fire is enough. But if you live in an area where there are possible wild fires, it is not enough. Wild fires can reach temperatures up to 2000°F and burn for a couple of fires before it moves on and temperatures can cool. Also consider the size and flammability of your home, and its proximity to a fire department. All these, plus more, can be factors to consider when buying the best fire safe for you and your family.