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Why did clay tablets survive in some ancient cities after fires?

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Neo-Assyrian clay tablet from the 7th century BC inscribed with dense cuneiform writing, known as the Flood Tablet from the Epic of Gilgamesh, displayed in the British Museum. — epigraphy The Flood Tablet, 11th cuneiform tablet in a series relating the Gilgamesh epic, from Nineveh, 7th century bce; in the British Museum, London.

In many ancient societies, clay tablets survived fires because the intense heat of the conflagrations acted as a kiln, effectively baking the clay and hardening it into a durable, near-indestructible material.12

While some cultures intentionally fired tablets in kilns to ensure the preservation of important documents like royal annals, legal codes, and epics, others used sun-dried clay for temporary records. In the latter case, the accidental exposure to the extreme temperatures of a burning building served to fire these otherwise perishable tablets, allowing them to survive for thousands of years in the archaeological record.21