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Fire Safe
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Ralph Winn

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By Ralph Winn
Published on 11/17/2007
 

A home fire is devastating, and when faced with this type of tragedy, the last thing you need is another headache.  When vital records are destroyed in a fire, you have a disaster within a disaster.  There are countless documents that are important to the well-being of you and your family, and these records belong in a fire safe.


A home fire is devastating, and when faced with this type of tragedy, the last thing you need is another headache.  When vital records are destroyed in a fire, you have a disaster within a disaster.  There are countless documents that are important to the well-being of you and your family, and these records belong in a fire safe.

Store your records in a fire safe 

A fire safe allows you to protect your vital records if you are ever faced with the misfortune of a house fire.  Vital records are any documents that contain information essential to survival in the event of a fire.  Some documents such as insurance policies, stock and bond certificates, and bank records should be kept in a safe location for four to six years.  Many other records, such as the ones below, need to be secured in a fire safe permanently.

  • Marriage Certificates
  • Child Custody Papers
  • Wills
  • Divorce Papers
  • Adoption Papers
  • Mortgage Papers
  • Passports
  • Deeds
  • Citizenship Documentation
  • Family Health Records

Protecting these documents in a fire safe allows you and your family to effectively recover from a disaster by giving you the ability to prove who you are and what you own.

Choose the right fire safe

When you are faced with the decision of what type of fire safe to buy, you first need to consider whether you need your fire safe to protect your valuables from thievery in addition to fire. 

Fire protection is the most important issue, and you need to remember that no fire safe is 100 percent fireproof; anything can be damaged if exposed to high enough temperatures for a long enough period of time.  A durable fire safe should be constructed from at least two layers of fireboard which are each 5/8 of an inch thick.  The fire safe also needs to be able to maintain an internal temperature below 350ยบ for a minimum of 30 minutes when tested in conditions which simulate a home fire. 

When securing your valuables and vital documents from theft, remember that the construction quality of your fire safe determines the amount of protection offered.  There are several important aspects of a fire safe to check before purchasing.

  • Steel plate thickness
  • Welding quality
  • Door thickness
  • Steel door reinforcements
  • Lock type and quality
  • Bolt locking mechanisms
  • Relocking devices

A home fire safe can also be equipped with features such as biometric recognition technology, like the Biometric Fingerprint Wall Safe offered by the Home Security Store.  The best protection you can get with a fire safe is by choosing one that has a combination of fire-resistant and theft-deterrent features. 

Fire safes are offered in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, so you can be sure there is one available to suit your needs.  A residential fire occurs every 83 seconds in the United States – protect your valuables today!