A Fire Safe Box

A house fire is a terrible thing. Of course the most important thing is that all family members escape safely.

It is heartbreaking however, to see all your possessions go up in smoke, especially as you had to work so hard to get them.

Given time though, possessions can be replaced, hopefully you have insurance that covers you for fire.

Modern life means that we acquire lots of important documents that we would not want to lose in a fire.

Some of these, like possessions, may be replaceable and some may not be.

Replaceable or not, the aftermath of a house fire is just when you may need some of those documents, such as title deeds and fire insurance papers.

How do you keep those documents safe from fire so that you have them when you need them? One answer would be a fireproof home safe, but you may not have the room for it or be able to budget for it.

Your solution could be a fire safe box, a much smaller container suitable for storing and protecting important papers.

These boxes come in a variety of styles and designs. Some are similar to an attaché case although not generally as big. Others are similar to file boxes. When choosing one make sure it is plenty big enough to hold the papers you need to protect. The internal measurements are as important, if not more important, than the external measurements.

Choose your fire safe box wisely and you may be able to safeguard all your documents plus photographs, rare stamps and maybe even some items of jewelry.

Should the unfortunate happen and your home suffers a fire, no doubt you, or somebody else, will call the fire dept. What do firefighters use to put out a house fire? That's right water, lots and lots of water, and water is almost as likely to damage, or even destroy, your important documents as fire is.

If you wish to protect your valuables from water as well as fire, choose a fire resistant box that is also water resistant, not all are.

It is important to remember that a fire safe box may be fire resistant and possibly water resistant, but give little resistance at all to a burglar.

Most fireproof security files and boxes have privacy locks. These are designed for keeping out prying eyes and making sure the top stays closed in a fire. They are not a defense against a thief.

Some fire resistant boxes have better locks than others and would slow a thief down, however these chests are relatively small and it would be pretty easy for a burglar to carry one away. He could then take his time to break in to it.

Boxes are available that come with a cable for tethering to a secure anchor point. Again this does not make it impossible to steal but would cost the burglar time.

One of the reasons that you may be choosing to buy a small fireproof security file or box instead of a full sized fire safe, is that if a fire broke out while you are at home, you can grab the box and run. Well, yes you may be able to do that but you will be putting yourself at risk if you do.

Your documents may be very important, but they are only paper. Paper can be replaced, humans cannot. Get your family and yourself to safety, that's all that matters. Let your fire safe box do it's job and protect your papers.

To be sure of fire, water and burglary resistance you may need to consider a full size conventional home safe. Of course you lose the portability and you will need a bigger budget and more space, but if you want to protect your documents and valuables from all three things a suitable conventional safe may be your answer.

If you are choosing a fire safe box for it's portability then weight is a consideration. The weight of the container may not be much of a problem if all you need to do is carry it from your home office to your car, but may be a problem if you regularly need to carry it further than that.

It would be disastrous to find that having protected your important papers from the ravages of fire, you open up your fire safe box to find the contents ruined by mold.

Full sized fire safes, fire resistant cabinets and boxes all run the risk of generating mold. Modern manufacturing methods have reduced this problem, but mold can still appear if a fire safe box is kept closed for a long period.

A silica gel sachet, or two depending on the size of your box, will help guard against this problem. Don't leave your box shut for too long though. About once a month open it up and check the inside and the contents for mold or mildew. If you find any sign, remove the contents and thoroughly clean the inside of your safe with water and baking powder, don't get it too wet.

Dry out the inside of your fire safe box by running an electric fan over it for at least a couple of hours. If your documents need cleaning dry them completely first. Try carefully vacuuming the mold off, or gently wiping with a clean and dry cloth.

By using the silica gel sachets and opening your fire resistant box to the air every so often, you may not ever be troubled by mold.

A house fire is devastating, it can mean that you are placed under considerable stress. Relieve some of that stress by knowing that the documents that you will need are safeguarded in a fire safe box.

Find Your Fire Safe Box at Amazon.com

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