I know the Youtube videos.

But what have 'members' actually experienced or seen personally about the damage to gun safe contents after a fire? Are the guns repairable? Usable? And how about the safe itself. How do you get into an electronic lock safe with the keypad burned off? Does cutting into a safe to open it destroy the contents?

LA fires..food for thought and knowledge for us to prepare for.

A family member had a medium fire, burnt one side of the house. They are semi-rural, took a while to get the fire crew, they were away at the time.

None of any firearms got the effects of full fire or heat, including the safe. There was still damage though.

That damage came from thick smoke, acidic water that was sprayed in the fire. Basically any gun that was covered, even a gun case, was mostly ok.

Many often think of a house burned to the foundation, CA wildfire type. Even a non-fire rated safe will give some protection. Most of us ‘should’ have fire trucks on site before being engulfed in flames.

In my relatives case, there was need of a refinish with some, cheaper guns cold blue, higher end, professional service.

One firefighter said one needs to wipe down any gun that was exposed, ASAP. He said, while the fire crew is rolling up the hoses. As one can imagine, many other things to concern yourself with at that time.

I have two safes, nothing ‘extra’ as far as fire protection. If the house burned to the ground, I doubt I would fare well.

I deal with a handful of safes burned in residential fires every year. Occasionally something in a commercial fire.

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Are the guns repairable? Usable?

Depends on the safe and the specifics of the fire. There is almost always some amount of damage. Consider that even if a safe works perfectly your firearms will be exposed to steam.

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And how about the safe itself.

Always a total loss, so turn it in to your insurer. Even if the safe was only exposed to smoke and no heat, the interior and insulation have absorbed those chemicals. Never rely on a safe that has been in any sort of event to protect your contents a second time around.

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How do you get into an electronic lock safe with the keypad burned off?

It surprises some people when they find out that dials are made of a soft metal and also burn off in a fire. Safes are typically drilled or completely cut open depending on the extent of the damage.

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Does cutting into a safe to open it destroy the contents?

No. It's the fire that does that.

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Originally posted by a1abdj:
I deal with a handful of safes burned in residential fires every year. Occasionally something in a commercial fire.

quote:

Are the guns repairable? Usable?

Depends on the safe and the specifics of the fire. There is almost always some amount of damage. Consider that even if a safe works perfectly your firearms will be exposed to steam.

quote:

And how about the safe itself.

Always a total loss, so turn it in to your insurer. Even if the safe was only exposed to smoke and no heat, the interior and insulation have absorbed those chemicals. Never rely on a safe that has been in any sort of event to protect your contents a second time around.

quote:

How do you get into an electronic lock safe with the keypad burned off?

It surprises some people when they find out that dials are made of a soft metal and also burn off in a fire. Safes are typically drilled or completely cut open depending on the extent of the damage.

quote:

Does cutting into a safe to open it destroy the contents?

No. It's the fire that does that.

So is it a good idea to use a fire resistant envelope to store cash and documents inside a typical 2 hour rated gun safe?

I see a bunch of 1700 degree 1 hour rated document envelopes on Amazon for $10 to $15 dollars. Would using one of these inside a fire rated safe virtually guarantee that cash and documents would survive?

I do NOT have direct experience but believe a multilayered approach is best. My safe is in the far right corner of my house, furthest away from the main structure and closest to the ground so there isn't that much to burn around it.

I have a 50 gun safe with 90 Minute Fire Rating at 1200º F.

For jewelry, valuables, and documents like passports and SSID cards, I have a small water and fire proof safe that those are stored in on a shelf in the big safe. It can handle 1700 deg. for 30 minutes and 100 hours in 3ft of water.

All you can do is give yourself the best chance at survival.

Extremely useful information, thanks especially to a1abdj.

I had one of those inexpensive fire safes you get at the office supply store. All the docs survived just fine, except for some smoke odor.

Great, I had copies of old tax returns but no clothes...

^^ The 'Emperor' if you will...

I have the cheapo Cannon from Costco. But that's really just to make a burglar have to spend a lot of time in the house making noise if he really wants in. I have no faith in it protecting stuff in a fire. And I'd be a lot more worried about my watches in the same safe.

I have a true fire safe from the 1800’s. It’s a Diabold, the size of a small oven. The walls are 10-12” thick, it’s VERY heavy.

I resurrected it, now have the combination, put sturdy wheels under it. I just have it in the garage now, it would be ideal in a fire.

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So is it a good idea to use a fire resistant envelope to store cash and documents inside a typical 2 hour rated gun safe?

Yes. Also worth keeping heat sensitive items lower in the safe vs. on the top shelf. However, safe placement also plays a role here. Say you're in a basement. Standing water may be a larger risk during a fire that heat itself, so low may not be the best option for paperwork in that scenario.

Having a centrally monitored fire alarm should be considered.

Back before the Army I volunteered with the local FD. Our response time started once we got the call. Buildings where the call came in as a passerby spotted smoke coming out the eaves, were always more damaged then the buildingss where the alarms called us out.

Also, look hard at the possible sources of ignition in your house.
Position your safe as far from the main sources of ignition as possible and make sure that your alarm sensor is between the safe and the source. Also make sure that there is a closed door or two between the possible source and the safe. You would be amazed at what a non-fire rated door can do to slow fire spread.