A ‘full evacuation’ strategy is put in place following a comprehensive risk assessment, carried out by a competent person.

If a fire starts inside your flat or somewhere else in the building

  • If you discover a fire or hear the fire alarm, make sure everyone inside your home is aware and immediately leaves the flat
  • Never tackle a fire yourself - leave it to the fire and rescue service
  • Don’t waste time investigating what’s happened or rescuing valuables
  • If there’s smoke, keep low to the floor where the air is clearer
  • Close all doors inside your flat if it’s safe to do so
  • When everybody has evacuated your flat, make sure the flat entrance door is closed behind you
  • Use the escape plan that you’ve practised that leads you to the ground floor and out of the building. If you can get to the stairwell, this should be a safe route to get out.
  • When you get outside the building, call 999 ask for the Fire Brigade, giving the building address
  • When the Fire Brigade arrives, tell them where the fire is
  • Do not go back inside the building until the Fire Brigade has put the fire out and they tell you it is safe to return home
  • Do not use the lift, unless it has been agreed as part of a Personal Evacuation Plan.

What to do if you can’t get out

  • If your escape route is blocked by fire or smoke, stay inside the safest room with a window that opens and call the fire and rescue service on 999 - this will help firefighters know where you are, and you can get help over the phone.
  • Keep the door closed and use towels or bedding at the bottom of the door to block the smoke, then open the window and shout “HELP FIRE”
  • Wait to be rescued by a firefighter

What to do following a fire

  • Call us on 0300 123 3456 when you’re outside the building to let us know what’s happened so that we can attend as soon as possible and provide support where needed.
  • If the Fire Brigade doesn’t allow you back inside, we or your local council will arrange temporary accommodation if you don’t have friends or family you can stay with.
  • You can find out here about what we can do to help after a fire.

Find out more about keeping safe

You can find lots of other useful fire safety advice and tips here