When Everything Burned, This Champion Safe Held the Line
Rhea-AI Summary
Champion Safe Company (NASDAQ: AREB) recounts a December 11 house fire where a Champion Medalist 41 safe preserved irreplaceable family items after the home was destroyed. The one-hour fire-rated safe kept contents largely intact despite extreme heat, smoke, and water. Champion will replace the damaged Medalist at no charge and notes the Challenger series as the closest current model.
The company stresses real-world fire performance, combined fire-and-security protection, and working with authorized dealers to select appropriate safes.
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News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, AREB declined 39.46%, reflecting a significant negative market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -28.3% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 11 alerts that day, indicating notable trading interest and price volatility. This price movement removed approximately $1M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $2M at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
AREB fell 39.03% while key peers like FORD, VRA and WEYS showed small gains and only one momentum-scanner peer (VEEE) moved up without news. With no broad peer weakness and scanner data showing peers moving opposite, the decline appears stock‑specific rather than sector‑driven.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 11 | Nasdaq appeal filed | Negative | -39.0% | Appeal of Nasdaq delisting determination after multiple reverse stock splits. |
| Feb 11 | Delisting, OTC move | Negative | -39.0% | Decision not to appeal Nasdaq delisting and plan to transition to OTC Markets. |
| Feb 05 | Tradeshow sales push | Positive | -9.2% | Champion Safe highlighted strong sales and engagement at Washington Sportsmen’s Show. |
| Feb 04 | Beer product launch | Positive | -16.1% | Launch of limited‑edition American Rebel Light Beer “Patriot Pack” promotion. |
| Feb 03 | Order growth update | Positive | -20.9% | Champion Safe cited <b>56%</b> year‑over‑year increase in dealer orders. |
Recent AREB news, even when operationally positive, has often been followed by negative price reactions, particularly around listing compliance and capital structure developments.
Over the last weeks, American Rebel has mixed operational branding news with intense listing and capital-structure pressure. On Feb 3, Champion Safe highlighted a 56% year‑over‑year order increase from Heavy Metal Gun Safes, and on Feb 5 it showcased sales momentum at the Washington Sportsmen’s Show—yet shares fell after both. The company also launched an American Rebel Light Beer “Patriot Pack” on Feb 4, again followed by a decline. More recently, Nasdaq delisting proceedings, reverse splits, and plans to move to OTC have coincided with sharp selloffs. Today’s fire‑survival story extends the branding and product‑validation narrative against that backdrop.
Market Pulse Summary
The stock dropped -39.5% in the session following this news. A negative reaction despite a compelling product‑validation story fits a pattern where AREB’s branding and sales updates have been overshadowed by capital‑structure and listing concerns. Recent filings detail reverse splits, extensive preferred stock issuance and resale registration, while news of delisting and an OTC transition preceded large declines. In that context, the fire‑survival narrative may have limited impact when weighed against structural risks and prior price weakness.
Key Terms
fire rating technical
locking mechanism technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
After a catastrophic house fire reduced an entire home to ashes, a Champion Safe protected the irreplaceable — and proved why real fire protection matters.
Provo, UT, Feb. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Champion Safe Company (championsafe.com), a premier manufacturer of high-security safes and a proud subsidiary of American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB), America’s Patriotic Brand, today shares the remarkable story of a Champion safe that survived a catastrophic house fire, preserving irreplaceable family treasures when everything else was lost.
In the middle of the night on December 11, a family woke to the unthinkable. Fire tore through their home, leaving nothing behind. Walls collapsed. Possessions were destroyed. A lifetime of memories disappeared in hours. The dramatic moment when their Champion Safe was finally opened — after sitting through the fire for more than a week — is captured in this compelling video: Watch the Full Recovery Here
Everything was destroyed — except what was inside their Champion safe.
For more than a week and a half, the safe sat inside the burned structure while investigators worked the scene. No one knew what would be left inside — or if anything would survive at all. When the door was finally opened, the moment was captured on video: disbelief, relief, and emotion as contents emerged that should have been lost forever.
Inside were items no insurance policy could ever replace — a grandfather’s firearm passed down through generations, personal documents, jewelry, and deeply sentimental possessions. Despite extreme heat, smoke, water from firefighting efforts, and prolonged exposure inside a destroyed home, the contents were largely preserved.
More Than Survival — Proof of Real Fire Protection
This outcome wasn’t luck. It was design.
The safe involved was a Champion Medalist 41, an entry-level model with a one-hour fire rating. While that model is no longer in production, its performance under real-world conditions underscores a critical truth: fire protection only matters if it works when everything goes wrong.
Champion safes are engineered to manage heat transfer over time, maintain survivable interior conditions, and resist the compounding effects of smoke and water intrusion. Advanced sealing systems and layered construction are designed not just to perform in laboratory tests, but to hold up when fires reach their most destructive stages.
In this case, the home suffered what investigators described as a near full burn. Yet the Champion Safe protected contents that would have otherwise been reduced to ash.
This is not an isolated incident.
Champion safes have repeatedly survived catastrophic fires, including destructive wildfires in Santa Rosa where entire neighborhoods were lost and many competing products failed outright. These real-world outcomes reinforce why fire ratings, materials, and construction methods matter — and why a safe should never be treated as a commodity.
Security That Doesn’t Quit — Even After the Fire
Another critical part of this story happened after the flames were out.
The intense heat melted the safe’s locking mechanism, but the door could not be forced open. Multiple non-professional attempts to gain entry failed, even with the exterior compromised. Only a trained safe technician, using specialized tools, was able to access the contents — and only by drilling through secondary security layers designed to resist attack.
That matters.
A real safe doesn’t stop protecting its contents just because it’s been through a fire. Even in a destroyed home, it continues to secure what’s inside until the rightful owner — with professional help — can regain access.
Fire protection and security aren’t separate features. In a real safe, they work together.
Standing Behind the Product — and the People
Although Champion did not originally sell this safe to the family, the company will replace the damaged Medalist at no charge.
“Losing a home is devastating, and nothing we make can change that,” said Tom Mihalek, CEO of Champion Safe Company. “But when people trust us with the things they can never replace, we take that responsibility seriously. This safe did exactly what it was built to do, and we’re proud to stand behind it — and behind this family.”
Today, the closest comparable model to the Medalist is the Champion Challenger series. However, Champion emphasizes that every home and business has different risks, contents, and priorities. That’s why working with an authorized Champion dealer is critical to selecting the right safe for individual needs.
Why This Story Matters
Fires don’t come with warnings. Electrical failures, accidents, wildfires, and storms can change lives overnight. When they do, the difference between total loss and preservation often comes down to one decision made long before disaster strikes.
A safe isn’t just about theft prevention. It’s about resilience.
It’s about protecting family history, business-critical documents, and irreplaceable possessions — when everything else is gone.
Watch the Full Story and Learn More
▶ Watch the full recovery video: youtube.com/watch?v=B2j8gtHC-fk
▶ Find an authorized Champion dealer for a personalized consultation: championsafe.com/dealer-directory
▶ Explore the full Champion Safe lineup: championsafe.com
About Champion Safe Company
Champion Safe Co. has been at the forefront of safe manufacturing for over 25 years, providing high-quality safes engineered for ultimate security and fire protection. Built entirely with
About American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB)
American Rebel began as a designer and marketer of branded safes and personal security products and has since grown into a diversified patriotic lifestyle company with offerings in beer, branded safes, apparel, and accessories. With the introduction of American Rebel Light Beer, the company is now making waves in the beverage space.
Learn more at americanrebel.com
Watch the American Rebel Story as told by our CEO Andy Ross.
Contact Information
Locate a Champion Safe Dealer: championsafe.com/dealer-directory
Become a Champion Safe Dealer: championsafe.com/become-a-dealer
Investor Relations: ir@americanrebel.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions, strategies, and projections about future events or performance. Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “projects,” “should,” “target,” “will,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are beyond our control.
Forward-looking statements in this release may include, without limitation, statements regarding: anticipated benefits from dealer partnerships and retail expansion initiatives; expected revenue growth for fiscal year 2025 and beyond; consumer demand for Champion Safe and American Rebel products; adoption by distributors and retailers; our ability to scale production and strengthen supply chain capabilities; the effectiveness of our sales, marketing, and brand-building strategies; and the Company’s plans and expectations regarding its Nasdaq listing status, including the appeal and hearing process related to Nasdaq’s delisting determination and any potential transition to the OTC Markets as a contingency. Certain performance metrics, including year-to-date growth percentages and other financial or operating data referenced herein, are based on internal, unaudited information and are subject to change upon completion of the Company’s standard financial closing and review procedures.
Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, without limitation: (a) the final accounting treatment of transactions and arrangements described in the Company’s SEC filings under U.S. GAAP, including valuation determinations, classification between liabilities and equity, and related presentation and disclosure requirements; (b) the possibility that the SEC may review, comment on, delay, or not declare effective any registration statement or other filing (including any contemplated registration statement on Form S-1), or that the Company may be unable to timely file or maintain the effectiveness of registration statements or periodic reports for any reason; (c) the risk that the Company may not be able to meet Nasdaq continued listing requirements in the future (including due to changes in stockholders’ equity, market value, minimum bid price (including the
Additional information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including under the headings “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, as such filings may be amended or supplemented from time to time.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.
Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
Attachments
FAQ
What happened to the Champion safe during the December 11, 2025 house fire involving AREB?
Will Champion replace the damaged Medalist safe for the family affected on December 11, 2025 (AREB)?
Which Champion model survived the fire and what is the current comparable model (AREB)?
Did the Champion safe remain secure after the fire in the December 11, 2025 incident (AREB)?
What does the December 11, 2025 survival story imply about Champion safes' fire protection (AREB)?
