Fire safety information for residents living in flats operating a ‘Stay Safe’ policy


The information on this page is only for residents in flats operating a ‘Stay Safe’ policy. If your flat operates an evacuation strategy please visit this page.

If you’re not sure whether your building is operating a ‘Stay Safe’ policy or evacuation strategy, contact your housing provider or the managing agent for the building.

If you have a fire or there is smoke in your flat you should:

  • Alert anyone else in your flat.
  • Close the door to the room where the fire is.
  • Get out of your flat – make sure the flat door closes behind you.
  • Call 999 and ask for ‘Fire’.
  • Leave the building using the stairs if you can.

If you have a fire or there is smoke in your flat do not:

  • Try and fight the fire - you could be injured.
  • Stop to collect belongings.
  • Go back into your flat.
  • Use the lifts – firefighters may need to take control of them.
  • Re-enter the building until told it is safe.

If you cannot get out of your flat move to a room away from the fire and call 999. Keep the door to the room closed and use towels or bedding at the bottom of the door to stop any smoke getting in.

What to do when phoning 999

If you have a fire in your flat or become aware of a fire somewhere else in the building, you should always call 999 and ask for ‘Fire’.

When you dial 999, the first person you speak to is an operator who will ask you which service you need. When you ask for ‘Fire’ you are immediately transferred to our control centre with specially trained staff who will ask you for information and send firefighters to help.

Listen carefully to the control operator - the first thing they will ask you for is the address. Give them the building name, address and postcode and then the flat number and floor of your flat.

Once you have provided the address and told us there is a fire, fire engines will be sent to the building. You will be asked more questions so that firefighters can be passed the information they need when they arrive – you should tell the control operator if there are people who haven’t been able to leave the flat.

Try and stay calm and answer any questions as clearly as you can and stay on the line until the control operator ends the call.

If you are unable to use voice telephony, there are other options available - visit emergencysms.org.uk (external link) and register for the option which is best for you.

What to do when you are outside the building

Stand at the main entrance to the building in a safe place and wait for the fire service to arrive. When firefighters arrive tell them where your flat is in the building, where in your flat the fire started and what is on fire.

It may take some time for firefighters to tackle the fire – you won’t be able to go back to your flat until the fire has been extinguished and it is safe. You should not try and re-enter the building until told it is safe to do so by a firefighter.

Fires in other parts of the building

If there is a fire in another part of the building, you should not need to leave your flat or the building. This is because a fire should not spread from a different part of the building to affect your flat and you are safe in your own flat.

When firefighters tackle a fire anywhere in the building it is likely that some smoke will spread into the corridors and sometimes into the staircase – if you choose to leave the building you may expose yourself to smoke in these areas before it is cleared. You won’t be able to use the lift.

If you choose to leave the building, you may not be able to re-enter the building until firefighters have dealt with the fire. This means you may not be able to go back to your flat for a few hours.

If at any stage your flat is affected by heat or smoke, or you feel unsafe, then you should get out if you can and call 999 and ask for ‘Fire’.

You should always evacuate if asked to do so by firefighters.

The video below explain what you should do in the event of a fire in a block of flats operating a 'Stay Safe' policy.

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If you had a fire in your home tonight would you know what to do about it? You need to be prepared and know your escape Plan and one day it could just save your life.

Make sure you and those you live with know what to do in the event of a fire whether a fire starts in your flat or somewhere else in your building it's important that anyone in your flat, including children and the elderly, know how to escape.

Make an escape plan so that you and those you live with know what to do if there is a fire in your flat. Learn what Escape signage there is in your building and what it means.

Keep doors and window keys accessible. Avoid keeping them in the kitchen because this is where most fires in the home start. Everyone in the flat should know where the keys are.

Keep your hallways and doorways free from clutter. This includes in communal areas. Report any discarded rubbish to your landlord or management agency.

If there is one, identify a second Escape Route you could use if the first one is blocked and remember to review your Escape Plan regularly in case anything changes in your building or flat.

What can you do if you find fire or smoke in your flat? You should never try to fight the fire yourself. Where possible and safe to do so close the door to the room where the fire is, alert any of the people in the flat and activate any manual alarms. Get out. Stay low if there is smoke, close all the doors behind you if you can and stay out. Once you are safe continue to evacuate the building. Call the fire service by dialling 999 and make sure you stay on the phone to them whilst you evacuate the building. Always use the stairs to get out of the building make sure you keep left. It's dangerous to gather in the hallways and lobbies because this may block access for the firefighters trying to get into the building. Do not use the lift unless instructed by a firefighter. This is because the fire may cause a power failure trapping you inside. It may also stop firefighters from using it to transport equipment up to higher levels. It's important to find out where the muster points for your building are. This is where you need to go if there's a fire. It's normally outside your building in a specific area. Contact your landlord to find out.

What can you do if there's a fire in another part of the building?

Your building has a stay put or stay safe policy. This means unless the fire was in your flat or you feel in danger you can remain where you are. Keep your front door and windows closed. Don't investigate. If you are with people, make sure you stay together.
Unnecessary evacuation can obstruct firefighters and delay them putting out the fire. If at any time you feel like you in danger you should leave the building. But, you may not be able to return to your flat for a number of hours. If your building is fitted with an emergency evacuation system the fire service may decide to partially evacuate the building. This can be done on a floor by floor basis. Check with your landlord or management agency whether the building has an evacuation alert system. If it does and you hear the alarm you should evacuate.

Other things you should know never block emergency access to the building or hydrants. Firefighters need to get their fire engine as close to the building as possible and be able to access the fire hydrants for additional water supply. Firefighters may put up smoke curtains to help stop the smoke from spreading but you can easily escape through it if needed. Firefighters may put a smoke hood over your head to help filter the toxic smoke from the air as you escape. Once you've escaped don't go back inside your home even if there is someone or a pet inside. Wait for the firefighters to arrive and when they do make sure you give them as much information as possible.

Plan your escape plan