After the fire

[Bbear]

So, it's been a little warm here in Texas. 108, 108, 107, 108 etc for the last 2 weeks. This past Thursday, it warmed up a bit more, at least at my house.
My company truck caught fire and pretty much burned to the ground. It caught the garage on fire as well. And though the fire was limited to the front of the garage, smoke and steam went all over.
Well, yesterday, I pulled my firearms out of the safe, just to be certain. Glad I did. Rust everywhere. They were all in a fire-proof/resistant safe that was closed and locked. And on the opposite side of the garage from where the fire took hold. Still, the steam from the fire hoses got in there and viola' I have rust. Today I'll check the optics and see if any are pitted/damaged from it. One old steel Weaver that I've had forever is covered in rust.
Interestingly, the rifles that are cerokoted have NO rust on them. Some of the bolts have a light brown 'patina' of rust.
So, my point to all of this is, God forbid you ever have a house fire, but should it happen to you, get in your safe as soon as you can and check out your firearms. Waiting 3 days like I did won't do you much good.
I've now added to the rest of the PIA that I have from everything else.

Here's a picture of the truck about 4 minutes after I noticed smoke coming out from under the hood and about 2 minutes before the fire department got here;

 

[pirate ammo]

I don't know how this will work on firearm,but OSPHO will make your surface rust disappear,you can get at paint stores,its an acid,don't get it in your eyes,burns like hell

 

[scubohuntr]

Keep in mind, bluing is rust. Be very careful with rust removal products.

 

[pirate ammo]

Keep in mind, bluing is rust. Be very careful with rust removal products.

yep,you have to sample a small unseen spot first,,

 

[Someoldguy]

I would be particularly concerned about your barrel bores.
It's easy to forget, that's the part of the barrel that matters and just because you peer down one end and it looks shiny, that's not a good inspection method.
I hope I'm being overly cautious, but based on my experience, I'd be concerned.

 

[Texas10]

Sure sounds like a good insurance claim to me. I hear rusted up guns aren't in high demand these days. Glad you and yours were all OK. Had you not caught it early.......

 

[Tommie]

Unless you’re sure this fire was your fault (modified wiring, etc) I’d be on the phone with the vehicle manufacturer ASAP. Guessing by the keypad on the B-pillar I’d say you own a Ford (I’m looking at this via my phone). I’ve worked in Ford service departments and know that several models are under recall for bursting into flame. No idea if yours is one of those models.

Call the manufacturer, not your dealsrship.

 

[Ggmac]

Check all parts . Triggers , bolts ( inside ) and like previous said the bores . It will go everywhere.
Glad your ok

 

[SmokinJoe]

CLR will remove rust, but it will remove bluing also from what was posted elsewhere, so only good for un-blued or stainless (yes, it can rust, too). I would second what was said about contacting the truck manufacturer. If vehicle was unmodified, their liability probably trumps any insurance approach. Document every detail you possibly can, this can be another nightmare, just as the rest of this experience has been. Good luck, you certainly have my sympathy.

 

[geraldgee]

Glad you and fam are ok.

 

[#40Fan]

Company truck. Company should take care of it through their insurance. Unless you are self employed.

I don't know how many Fords I have seen burned down due to the brake switch on the master cylinder.

 

[1shot]

First and foremost, I'm glad no one was hurt. Secondly, I've found Sheath by Birchwood Casey to remove rust without damaging the finish.
I hope this helps,

Lloyd

 

[370bc]

Thank you for sharing. We can all learn form this unfortunate accident.

 

[JRS]

No one was hurt/died. That's what's most important. The guns can be repaired or replaced.

 

[hawkeyeshoooer]

Glad no one got hurt.

 

[HillBilly98]

You can check with insurance company. Some have a max payout on firearms and hunting equipment and some do not have a sub category for them and would just be viewed as unscheduled personal property. If the case is the later you should be good as a rule of thumb the cap for unscheduled personal property is 60 percent of the policy ie if your policy on the home is for 250k you would have 120k on unscheduled property. Check with your agency

 

[JFrank]

So, it's been a little warm here in Texas. 108, 108, 107, 108 etc for the last 2 weeks. This past Thursday, it warmed up a bit more, at least at my house.
My company truck caught fire and pretty much burned to the ground. It caught the garage on fire as well. And though the fire was limited to the front of the garage, smoke and steam went all over.
Well, yesterday, I pulled my firearms out of the safe, just to be certain. Glad I did. Rust everywhere. They were all in a fire-proof/resistant safe that was closed and locked. And on the opposite side of the garage from where the fire took hold. Still, the steam from the fire hoses got in there and viola' I have rust. Today I'll check the optics and see if any are pitted/damaged from it. One old steel Weaver that I've had forever is covered in rust.
Interestingly, the rifles that are cerokoted have NO rust on them. Some of the bolts have a light brown 'patina' of rust.
So, my point to all of this is, God forbid you ever have a house fire, but should it happen to you, get in your safe as soon as you can and check out your firearms. Waiting 3 days like I did won't do you much good.
I've now added to the rest of the PIA that I have from everything else.

Here's a picture of the truck about 4 minutes after I noticed smoke coming out from under the hood and about 2 minutes before the fire department got here;

Brother
I'm so sorry to hear bad news, your family being ok is the most important, the rest can be replaced.
Regards
SPJ

 

[hawkeyeshoooer]

Fix it, sell it, get a new one.