Yale Fireproof

Yale fireproof safes give 60 minutes of fire protection for documents, passports, certificates, deeds and other papers kept at home or in a small office. Three sizes run up to 37 litres, standing 352 to 522 mm high, 352 to 412 mm wide and 363 to 444 mm deep.

What a 60-minute fire rating protects

A fire rating for paper means the safe holds its interior below the temperature at which paper chars for the rated hour, so documents come out of a fire readable. Data media — tapes, memory cards, external drives — are damaged at far lower temperatures and by humidity as well as heat, so backups belong in a data-rated safe rather than a paper-rated one. This range is fire-rated rather than burglary-graded: where an insurer specifies an EN 1143-1 or EN 14450 burglary grade alongside fire protection, the Paper Star and Magma Pro ranges carry both.

Choosing your Yale fireproof safe

The three sizes differ mainly in height, so the choice is how much paper you need to keep flat rather than how much floor space you have. Each is opened with an electronic PIN lock, so the code can be set and changed without a locksmith — practical for a household where more than one person needs access. Every model can be bolted down to the floor, which is worth doing on a safe light enough to be carried.