GREENSBORO, N.C. — When we do stories on house fires, the first concern is for the people, are they OK? Then the questions start about how it started and were there working smoke detectors? Very rarely we get to tell you the story of what happens after the house fire.
“You've lost your clothes, you've lost your things. but the most aggravating part is you've lost your insurance documents and you have to track those down. Maybe you have to refile for a birth certificate or refile for a title from the DMV. You don't think of those things until it's too late unfortunately,” said Chase Browning, COO of Spartan Safe.
One way to keep that from being a frustration in your life, is to have all those documents in a fire and waterproof safe. Check out the video from Liberty Safes, when a fire begins, the temperature is usually 70 degrees the temperature will rise to 1200 degrees in ten minutes. The body of the safe is taking the heat and when the outside of the safe reaches 112 degrees, the seal expands.
“In the event of a fire, the heat will cause that seal to expand and seal the door and that's going to keep smoke and water out. It swells to eight times its size so that's going to seal the door,” said Browning.
Safes come in all shapes and sizes, ones you can put papers and a few valuables in and that are bolted to the floor in your closet or in a wall.
Then there are safes that are much bigger, for keeping your firearms locked up and away from children and burglars. Browning says Spartan Safes deliver and install thousands of safes a year in residential spaces, he says safes aren’t just for banks and businesses.
There are also safes that you can take with you. No matter what fits your needs, the point is, put your essential paperwork in there and know you're protected.