Very sad news for me...

[CoRoMo]

Sorry to hear that news. That is terrible.
Renters insurance is very inexpensive when you add it through your auto insurance policy. I think ours was like $15/month when we rented.

How did the fire start? (if you know yet)

A house fire is always a fear for many. Sharing what caused it might prevent a house fire for one of the THR members, so if you find out, please share. My brother's house caught fire years ago from some oily rags in the garage.

Try to restore anything that can be restored. Or clean it up and see if it can sell for a few buck.

 

[22-rimfire]

My brother's house burnt down because a kitty cat knocked over a burning candle in another room as best as they could figure out. The kitty suffered the same fate as all of my Brother's belongings including firearms and trophy deer and bear mounts. It took less than 5 minutes to be out of control and less than 10 minutes to make it impossibe to walk into the room where it started. 30 minutes later, the house was burnt to the ground. In my house... NO unattended candles or open flames EVER inside the house.

 

[hksw]

Sorry to hear of the loss of most of your firearms. They are, however, replacable. Eventually, you'll get to the point where it will not be too much of a financial stretch to replace them. (With the exception of the hierloom, of course.)

What kind of (make/model) safe were they in?

 

[Hokkmike]

It is bad alright, but nobody got killed or hurt and that is good!

 

[Zundfolge]

If you're an NRA member, one of the benefits of membership is a $1000 insurance policy on your firearms.

Here's a link to a PDF of the claims form.

I had a gun stolen and they were very good to work with. All I had to do was provide a police report and they paid (minus a $100 deductible)

And you can expand the coverage as well http://www.locktonrisk.com/nrains/armscare.asp

Only $1.66 per year per $100 of coverage.

 

[hso]

We had the ammunition in another safe it looks like swiss cheese now.

i wouldn't call the ammo safe an actual safe, more like a lock box of sorts.

That's odd. SAAMI, the firearms ammunition manufacturer's industry group has been saying for years that ammo in a fire doesn't represent any hazard to firefighters because unconfined the ammo ruptures the case with no pressure behind the bullet.

Sporting Ammunition and the Firefighter

Item #250 - Nearly one million rounds of ammunition were subjected to ten different tests-from open burn conditions to tightly confined burn conditions-to examine what happens to sporting ammunition exposed to severe impact and fire. This video is recommended as an educational tool for fire departments and explains how firefighters face no danger from sporting ammunition in a fire when protected by standard turn-out gear.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Pictures?

Waiting for pictures.

Thread needs pictures.

Useless without pictures.

Show me the money. -- Oh, wait, wrong movie.

Pictures!

 

[possum]

sorry to hear that that is truely sad.

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

That's odd. SAAMI, the firearms ammunition manufacturer's industry group has been saying for years that ammo in a fire doesn't represent any hazard to firefighters because unconfined the ammo ruptures the case with no pressure behind the bullet.

That's what I was thinking.

 

[yongxingfreesty]

just be glad you werent in the fire. those guns will be replaced later down the road. glad no one was hurt.

 

[Cosmoline]

Well if it was a bailment under your state law, you might be able to make a claim on the Bro in law which would trigger the homeowners' liability coverage. Might be worth asking an attorney about it.

 

[fixyurgun]

Have a gunsmith look at the guns before you trash them. I've redone two Marlin 336s that had the stocks burned off & a the rounds in them cook off. ruined the springs but, both guns are taking deer this season. Jim

 

[2Ais4U]

the holes in the ammo case werent from the slugs, just pieces of brass and other shrapnel getting pushed thru the box by shell ruptures, it had a pretty good number of shells in it. My brothers insurance covers his firearms up to $2000, and he is in the NRA, but im just gettin started in the real world, so i got nothin.My brother was going to say that all the guns were his but i didn't want to risk him getting in trouble in any way.

 

[Hk91-762mm]

Sorry to hear the news --Indeed sad !
But Im Happy---!! WHY??????
When I read the Title of the thread I thought someone close to you was Injured or Dead!
Having been a firefighter for 20+years I have seen it all !
Somethings CANT be fixed --This is a fixable problem!
Good luck !

 

[sm]

2Ais4U,
I am sorry for your loss.
I have been there more than once myself.
Fire, Flood, Tornado , having the Safe itself stolen and someone being forced to open a safe at gunpoint.

Life is Life. At least nobody was hurt or worse.

You have received some good advice and have rec'd some "questionable suggestions".

Trust me, One Does NOT want to mess with a Insurance Investigator and be found to be "fraudulent".

Postal Inspectors are another group of folks one does not want to "try and pull a fast one" with.

I have worked with and know[n] some Investigators.
Fascinating how Fire Investigators can find the cause of fire, Insurance can Investigate as well and all hell break looks when the Postal Investigator shows up.

This is worse than arriving to work to see "60 Minutes" in your office awaiting your arrival.

Bubba cell mate might not be able to dance, but he does know the way to San Jose'.

 

[NAK]

Sorry to hear about the fire.
While guns are valuable, especially ones with special meaning, you brother and his family have lost their home and pet. I'll add your bother & his family to my prayers tonight.

I have between $15 - $20K worth of firearms in my fire-rated safe, but the safe was purchased primarily to protect two: 1] My mother's single shot .22 rifle, given to her by her father when she was a child. 2] An old .22 pump action that my dad bought used, for 8 hard earned, depression dollars.

 

[a1abdj]

I too am sorry for your loss. Unfortunately many people don't get a safe, insurance, alarms, or other protections until after they suffer a loss similar to yours.

I will comment further when I see photos of your safe, but will say this to all of the others in this thread that are counting on their fire lined gun safes to protect from fire:

Don't do it. A firelined gun safe is better than nothing at all, but it is not fireproof the same way a real fire rated document type safe is. We open gun safes after fires, and rarely see one without damaged contents.

 

[2Ais4U]

the part that makes me feel horrible is that i was a junior member of the fire dept. in that area, and i only lived about half a mile away. I am very thankful for your advice, thoughts and prayers for my brother. thank you all very much. the cause of the fire was "faulty wiring" which i don't believe for one second because that house was built by My brother , My father, My mother and Me.