Fire and Burglary Ratings, in Plain Words
A fire rating says nothing about theft, and a burglary rating says nothing about heat. Choose the rating based on what you keep inside. Paper needs Class 350, film needs Class 150 and hard drives need Class 125.
- No Safe Is Fireproof A rating is a time and a temperature limit.
- One Hour Liberty calls this the common standard for a home safe.
- RSC This is five minutes against common hand tools.
- TL These ratings hold off drills and pressure tools.
Jump To Fire Ratings Burglary Ratings Upstairs Safes
Fire Ratings
Liberty Safe explains that a rating has a class and a time, such as UL Class 350 for one hour. It also notes that a typical house fire reaches 1,100 to 1,300 degrees.
| Class | Inside Stays Below | Made For |
|---|---|---|
| Class 350 | 350 degrees | Paper documents, deeds, passports and cash |
| Class 150 | 150 degrees and 85% humidity | Film, negatives and tapes |
| Class 125 | 125 degrees and 80% humidity | Hard drives, flash drives and discs |
Burglary Ratings
The minutes are net working time for trained testers in a lab, per Safe and Vault Store. That is not the same as the time a thief needs in your closet.
| Rating | What It Means | Usually Suited To |
|---|---|---|
| B rate | No attack test, based on steel thickness | Light valuables |
| C rate | No attack test, thicker steel | Small business cash |
| RSC | Five minutes against hand tools | Most homes and gun safes |
| TL 15 | Fifteen minutes against drills and hand tools | Retail stores and jewelry |
| TL 30 | Thirty minutes with saws and cutting wheels added | Expensive inventory |
Upstairs Safes
Safe and Vault Store says UL heats a second safe and drops it 30 feet onto broken brick. That copies a fall through a burning floor, so the drop test matters if your safe sits upstairs.
Questions We Get
Is a fire safe also good against theft?
Not by itself. A fire rating only covers heat. Check for a separate burglary rating if theft is your worry.