Preserved through one of the most destructive fires in history
My wife and I lost everything we owned in the Camp Fire in Paradise, Calfornia on November 8, 218. The safe we purchased from Visalia Safes was the only thing left standing among the ashes of our home. Inside the safe, we had rifles, handguns, ammunition, jewelry, important papers and a coin collection. The fire was so intense that the outside of the safe had burned and the dial had melted.
Visalia Safes sent their men to our home to open the safe for us. The guns were intact but the metal was affected and the stocks were burned. Amazingly, the top shelf had collapsed onto the lower shelves, which compacted the paperwork and coin collection into a space that had almost no air, so they survived this horrific fire. Some of the coins were scorched but the majority were untouched.
The contents of this safe was all we had left of our previous life. There was. A lot of looting going on, especially of smaller safes that could be picked up and removed. Our safe was large and heavy and we knew no one was going to be able to pick it up and take it without the use of heavy equipment. Thankfully, we had purchased a Visalia Safe, which survived the fire and could not be moved or opened!
When our staff helped William open his safe, we were all amazed that anything could be intact given the devastation all around. And when he sent us the note, we were pleased that the coin collection and papers had been preserved from fire and theft because his Visalia Safe did its job.
First rate fire protection in every Visalia Safe
Fire protection linings: how it works
Fortunately, the fire protection in William’s safe worked as designed. Every Visalia Safes comes with some level of fire protection: either a “fire board” or “ceramic wool” lining of the safe, or both if you want maximum protection from fire. We install fire board in safes where quick fire protection is essential, but longer-term protection is less assured. It is found in our Superior safe tier base safes and offers excellent fire protection for shorter fire events. For protection against longer fire events, we install ceramic wool which maintains protection longer and at higher heats. For our top-tier Ultimate level base models, the ceramic wool is placed between the outer layer of steel (7 gauge) and an inner steel liner (12-gauge). This prevents heat from being conducted to the interior of the safe, providing excellent protection for longer periods. In tests, the ceramic wool has offered protection for up to an hour during fires that burned as hot as 3260 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fire seals add to the protection
The second element of our fire protection scheme is the “fire seal”, which is placed around the door opening. When fire strikes, the seal expands to seal the interior of the safe, preventing hot gases and flames from entering the interior. As the fire burns, it consumes the seal’s material, which nevertheless maintains integrity and continues to offer protection.
Engineering & precision at the highest level
What helped preserve the contents of William’s safe was a combination of the engineering design and the quality and precision of the safe’s build. The Camp Fire subjected the safe to hours long exposure to temperatures in excess of 2000 degrees Fahrenheit: a lower temperature than the maximum the material can handle but far longer than it is designed to be effective. Because the build quality was so high, with tight tolerances and precisely installed seals, the fire protection continued to provide some protection far longer than the ceramic wool and fire seals are rated to last. And though there was a strong element of good fortune that the shelf was able to seal the papers and coins from the heat, the quality of materials we use in Visalia Safes played a strong part in making sure that the good fortune was more than momentary.
If you are looking for a safe that combines fire protection with tough construction to protect your valuables, check out Visalia Safes. We will make you your dream safe at a price that can’t be beat. You’ll be surprised by how much you can get, and delighted that you get exactly what you want.
