I think there are a few things that can help protect you (as well as your tank) in a fire. Obviously,
you and your family's life is the most important thing, please evacuate and dial 911! If the fire is large, there is really nothing that can be done. However, in the event of a smaller fire that is reported early and contained, I believe there are a few things that can be done to help protect the tank. Most of these are already basic fire safety, but in the respect of thinking of your reef tank, I would consider the following:
- Sleep with your doors closed at night. This helps contain fire to specific rooms and buys the fire department time to extinguish the fire and you time to get out of the house. If your tank is in your bedroom, this may help protect it if the fire is located in another part of the house.
- I think a lid and covering your stand/sump will help keep major debris out of your tank (I know a lid is slightly controversial in this hobby, but I keep one on my 180 gallon to help reduce evaporation). Smoke is essentially dust. Once again, if the fire is small enough, and extinguished quickly by the fire department, your tank may have only limited affects from the smoke and/or other debris.
- During a fire, it is standard procedure for the fire department to secure the electricity to the structure. Having a battery back-up air-stone may help until the power is restored.
Hope this helps!
