Items You Should Always Keep In A Fireproof Safe

Tom Gaffey
by Tom Gaffey

We live in a technological world with seemingly endless amounts of cloud storage. In turn, it has become almost impossible to lose important documents and treasured photos. But some documents and personal items exist in real life, not in the cloud, and they must be kept safe. This is where a fireproof safe comes into play. Every home should have a fireproof safe to keep valuable possessions safe. But what items should you keep in a fireproof safe?

If you have a fireproof safe, it is essential you put important documents like current insurance policies, wills, deeds, vehicle titles, and other legal and tax documents in it. You should also put important identity documents like birth certificates, social security cards, and passports in the fireproof safe. Other items you should consider placing inside include valuable jewelry and accessories, and small items that hold sentimental value.

Purchasing a fireproof safe is an vital step in keeping your important items safe from all sorts of disasters. But once you have the safe in your home, it might be a bit overwhelming to decide exactly what to put inside it. Check out the top 10 items you should put inside your fireproof safe to help guide you on which of your personal things need safekeeping.

10 Items Everyone Should Keep In A Fireproof Safe

1. Current Insurance Policies

While insurance cards and documents might not seem like your most prized possessions, they are very important to keep in a fireproof safe. If there is a fire or some other catastrophic event in your home, you will need your home insurance policy information.
In essence, keeping up-to-date insurance policies and documents is simply preparing to use the safe for its intended purpose. It will make the difficult rebuilding process much easier if the unthinkable does one day happen.

2. Your Will

Your will, and a will of anyone else living in the your home is another critical document to keep in a fireproof safe. The most up-to-date will and testament is one of the most important documents in your life. There may be an additional copy with a lawyer, but maintaining your signed paper copy is important to know that in the unfortunate event of your death, your final wishes are carried out as you intend.

3. Social Security Card

Your social security card is another crucial document that you definitely do not want to lose in the event of a fire or other disaster. Social security cards are important documents that you need from time to time. Whether you have started a new job, are applying for a passport, or maybe applying for a loan, this small and flimsy paper card is very important. Keeping it in a fireproof safe preserves its integrity. It also keeps you from losing it or putting it somewhere where it can be damaged by water.

4. Title To Your Vehicles

You need to keep your vehicle titles safe in case of a fire. If you don’t have the title of your car, it can be very difficult to sell it. It can also be challenging to re-register it, especially in a new state. But you don’t want to keep your title in your vehicle, as this can be disastrous if it gets stolen. If you own a boat, RV, or other vehicles or properties with titles, these should also live in your fireproof safe.

5. Birth Certificates

Birth certificates are similar to a social security card. They are flimsy pieces of paper that can be easily burned or destroyed by water damage. They also happen to be very important documents. You need them for all sorts of things, including when you start a new job, get a license, or apply for a passport for the first time. Birth certificates can also be challenging to get a new copy of, especially if you no longer live near your place of birth.

6. Passports

Passports are another very important life document that you don’t necessarily carry around with you like a wallet but are very important to keep safe and handy. After all, without your passport, you can’t leave the country. It is possible to replace your passport, but it can cost more than one hundred dollars, can take several weeks, and is a very big headache. Keeping your passport in a fireproof safe ensures you never lose it, and also that it is protected in case of a fire.

7. Property Deed Or Lease

Regardless of whether you own your home or are renting, you will want all the legal documents pertaining to the property such as the deed or a copy of your lease in the safe. For one, these documents are important to keep safe, and you may need to reference them from time to time. And, if there is a fire in your home, you will want to access these documents in order to determine any liability, and also to have proof that you are the owner or lessor of the dwelling.

8. Crucial Signed Legal And Tax Documents

Every life is different, and each person has their own important documents. If you have any legal matters or any signed legal documents, keep these in a fireproof safe. Many legal documents are important to keep for your entire life, or at least for an extended period. The same goes for tax documents. Make sure you keep your tax documents in a fireproof safe you so can access them in case you need to reference them, or if the IRS comes knocking.

9. Valuable Jewelry And Small Accessories

You can’t fit all your valuables in a fireproof safe, but you can fit some of your most expensive smaller items. For most people, this means jewelry and small accessories like watches. It is a good practice to keep your expensive jewelry and other small expensive fashion pieces and collector’s items in a fireproof safe. This helps protect them from being destroyed or displaced during a fire. It also helps keep them safe from theft if you have a large fireproof safe or one bolted into your floor and walls.

10. Small Sentimental Items

You can’t fit every sentimental item in a fireproof safe, even in the biggest of safes. You can, however, fit your most treasured small possessions. This might be a hard decision to make, and you may struggle to prioritize, but if you have extra space, adding a few treasured items is a great idea. After all, if there is a fire in your home, it will help you feel a bit better knowing you still have some important personal mementos.

Factors That Affect What To Include In Your Fireproof Safe

The Size Of The Safe: Fireproof safes come in all shapes and sizes. Some will only be large enough to fit your important documents. Others are tall and large enough to walk inside. Naturally, the bigger the safe, the more valuables and other items you can fit.

If You Have A Safety Deposit Box: If you have a safety deposit box, then you might not need to keep certain documents in a fireproof safe. In fact, you might want to keep some of your most valuable positions in the safety deposit box at a bank, to better protect them from theft.

Size Of Family: The size of your family in the home also has an impact on how much space you have for certain items. After all, a family of seven means you have six other people and their important papers, identifications, and valuables to consider. Start with the essentials, and then branch out from there.

Wrapping Up Items You Should Keep In A Fireproof Safe

The last thing you want to imagine is your home going up in flames, but it is important to prepare for unthinkable events like this. One of the most important things you can do to protect yourself in times of disaster is to have a fireproof safe filled with the essentials. These essentials include birth certificates, insurance documents, wills, social security cards, passports, valuable jewelry, land deeds, leases, vehicle titles, and anything small that you have a close and personal connection to. Keeping these items in a fireproof safe will help you rebuild in the unlikely event of a fire.

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Tom Gaffey
Tom Gaffey

Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.

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