If you own a fire proof safe/box...

[Nipple_nectar]

Where would you keep it? I am thinking for easy access in the event of a fire, one should probably store it in the attic say, where it could be easily found amongst the rubble, does this make sense?

We are currently storing it in the basement, which would probably be very difficult to locate in the event of a house fire, which is the intended purpose.

Ours locks but we keep the key dangling from the box because again, could we locate the key in the event of a fire? It needs to be locked, in order to close.

[jessiehannan]

a regular metal storage box stored in the freezer works just as well, and is easy to find. :)
I have all of my imp. docs together in a file folder which is in the filing cabinet, in my bedroom closet. It would take me all of 30 seconds to grab it on the way out the front door.

[Nipple_nectar]

a regular metal storage box stored in the freezer works just as well, and is easy to find. :)
I have all of my imp. docs together in a file folder which is in the filing cabinet, in my bedroom closet. It would take me all of 30 seconds to grab it on the way out the front door.


How do you know that important documents would survive through a fire and definite power failure, in the event of a fire, in the freezer?

[jessiehannan]

A while back they did an thing on the news about fire safety and important documents, etc.
And if you think about it, what is a fridge? An insulated metal box.

[cc1003]

Ours is in our closet.

[SingingMom]

A safety deposit box located in a bank is a nice safe place to keep copies (or originals) of important documents.

Of course, I haven't done that yet myself.

My freezer is entirely full of food. I don't know that I want to boot the food for documents.

[jessiehannan]

A safety deposit box located in a bank is a nice safe place to keep copies (or originals) of important documents.

Of course, I haven't done that yet myself.

My freezer is entirely full of food. I don't know that I want to boot the food for documents.

Same here. That's why mine are in the closet, in the filing cabinet. :)

[PiccoloRose]

We don't have one, but my aunt has 2 that has a lot of the immediate family's important documents in it. They are behind the door to her room, which is near the back door and behind her door is also along an outside wall. She says that they are easy to grab there, and if she can't grab them they will be easy to find later.

[ima062002]

Ours is in our closet.

ditto

[JudyJudyJudy]

Ours is under the bed, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to find it after a fire.

A while back they did an thing on the news about fire safety and important documents, etc.
And if you think about it, what is a fridge? An insulated metal box.
But if there is ice in the freezer, and it melts, couldn't it get into the metal box and ruin the papers?

[Amy_G_]

Ours is under the bed, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to find it after a fire.


But if there is ice in the freezer, and it melts, couldn't it get into the metal box and ruin the papers?

If the fire safe box can withstand the fire, it can withstand the water that goes along with PUTTING OUT a fire. If in doubt, put the papers in a ziplock bag in the box in the freezer. ;)

a few copies of your most important papers in a ziplock bag in the freezer would be a good idea. They'll most likely survive a fire in the freezer, and they are fairly easy to grab on your way out the door if you have time when vacating the house for any other kind of emergency like a flood, hurricane, or tornado or something like that.

[JudyJudyJudy]

If the fire safe box can withstand the fire, it can withstand the water that goes along with PUTTING OUT a fire. If in doubt, put the papers in a ziplock bag in the box in the freezer. ;)
But she wasn't talking about a fire-proof box. She was talking about a regular metal box:

a regular metal storage box stored in the freezer works just as well, and is easy to find. :)

eta: Putting it in a Ziploc makes sense, but she didn't mention that.

[jessiehannan]

Ours is under the bed, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to find it after a fire.


But if there is ice in the freezer, and it melts, couldn't it get into the metal box and ruin the papers?

My freezer doesn't frost over, and if you have an ice maker, as long as it isn't overflowing to begin with, it won't overflow when the ice melts. A bag of ice in the freezer is a different story though. It would take several inches of water to get into the box, and in my freezer, it would all drain into the vents at the front of the freezer.

[MiMi_of_4]

I vote for a safety deposit box ~ we've had one for years and it's not very expensive (maybe $20/yr.).

[Kassandra]

It's in the master bedroom closet.

I'm sure they'll sift through the remains very well - especially if you tell them there's a fireproof box in there. :)