Here is what a safe looks like after a fire.

[henrysmedford]

Untitled by Karen, on Flickr

My work safe from the big fire.Over 100 businesses and over 2500 homes lost. All what was inside is now ash.
Untitled by Karen, on Flickr

[68Camaro]

Ouch - was it a fire rated safe for a specific time and temperature rating? (I know a lot of those are inadequate to survive a hot fire.)

[henrysmedford]

Ouch - was it a fire rated safe for a specific time and temperature rating? (I know a lot of those are inadequate to survive a hot fire.)

Not fire rated just a drop safe to hold the money until you make it to the bank. But I was surprised how everything was just turned into vapor. Our office has the same types of shelves as Costco uses and they were all melted. The fire here was approximately 2 miles wide and 10 miles long that most of the damage is in and it’s like driving through a black and white movie. Everything is just black and white once it’s burnt.

[Recyclersteve]

I saw a bunch of silver coins hidden inside a wall during a fire. There was smoke damage and I believe I remember smelling smoke as well (it was a friend’s stuff about 10 years ago). Fortunately it can still be sold as silver...

[TXSTARFIRE]

Could a fire get hot enough to melt silver? Would coin silver have a higher melting point than .999?

[68Camaro]

Steel melts in the 2500-2800 F range. Silver and its major alloys melt in the 1600-1800 F range. Typical safes are rated for something like 1200F (exposure to the exterior) for 30 minutes (with the interiors protected to various levels). Silver would survive that intact (though possibly oxidized on surfaces). But what happens with higher exposure temps is a wildcard depending on the amount of fuel and oxygen and time spent at temp.

[smackvay]

Could a fire get hot enough to melt silver? Would coin silver have a higher melting point than .999?

100% yes my jeweler buddy had his house burn down and all his wifes and all her jewelry passed down thru the family was melted into a blob in the corner of the safe was also about 20 ounces of silver in this blob so they have the metal but it is literally a triangle blob and they kept it.

[TXSTARFIRE]

Thats kind of what I was wondering. I dont have a fire safe but if you knew the location in the house where your metals were they could be recovered after the fire, unlike FRNs.

[TXSTARFIRE]

My question about 90 pct vs .999 I was wondering if 90 pct would be more or less likely to survive a fire without turning into a blob.

[TXSTARFIRE]

Henrysmedford, did the mechanism that opens the door actually still work after the fire, or was there just a hasp and lock on the door? It looks like the pins in the door are retracted. If so that is kind of amazing.

[smackvay]

I do know to give your safe the best chance it should be on an exterior wall as that doesn’t get as hot as the center of your house.

Sounds dumb but put your paper money in a sealed jar in a plastic bag and bury it.

Mike

[68Camaro]

My question about 90 pct vs .999 I was wondering if 90 pct would be more or less likely to survive a fire without turning into a blob.

Minor differences but nothing significant.

[henrysmedford]

Henrysmedford, did the mechanism that opens the door actually still work after the fire, or was there just a hasp and lock on the door? It looks like the pins in the door are retracted. If so that is kind of amazing.

When the demolition guy picked it up with the track hoe the door popped open. Here is a picture of the bank about a quarter mile down the road that burnt down in the same it’s vault does not look like it was in very good shape either after the fire. fgd88z3lj6m51 by Karen, on Flickr

[Lemon Thrower]

Could a fire get hot enough to melt silver? Would coin silver have a higher melting point than .999?

Well we learned on 9/11 that fire can melt steel, so I think an alloy of silver and 10% steel wouldn't make much of a different. (;>)

[Recyclersteve]

I would think 9/11 would be an extreme situation for several reasons:

1) You had a projectile going at least a few hundred miles per hour, a slower than usual speed since the planes had just taken off not too long beforehand.
2) There was an explosion.
3) There was lots of fuel onboard to increase the temperature of the fire.

Not an expert- just my own speculation.