Our advice for what to do if there's a fire in your building depends on if you live in a low, medium or high-rise building:
- Low-rise buildings are below 5 storeys, and under 11 metres.
- Medium-rise buildings are between 5 and 6 storeys, or between 11 metres and 17 metres.
- High-rise buildings are seven storeys or more, or above 18 metres.
If you're not sure what type of building you live in, email asset.management@bristol.gov.uk
If there's a fire inside your home, do not try to put it out. Leave that to the Fire Service. Leave as quickly as you can and call 999.
Make sure you know the fire evacuation strategy for your building.
We have 2 different fire evacuation plans for shared blocks of flats:
- stay put, stay safe
- simultaneous evacuation
The type of plan in your building is determined by:
- the level of risk to your building in a fire
- how safe it is to stay in the building if there is a fire in another part of the building
If you're not sure which plan applies to your building, the information will be:
- on the fire action notices around the building, such as at the entrances to the building
- on building notice boards
- on staircase walls
- in lift lobbies
You can also ask a member of staff who knows your building, such as:
- housing officers
- caretakers
- a member of the Building Safety Team, email buildingsafety@bristol.gov.uk.
If your building has a stay put, stay safe policy it means there's no communal fire alarm system to alert you to a fire in another part of the building.
What to do if there's a fire in another part of your building:
- Stay in or return to your flat until the fire has been put out. You may be told to leave your flat by a member of the emergency services depending on the situation. You must do this when instructed.
- If you really do not feel safe, leave your flat and move to a place of safety outside the building.
- If you're in a communal area of the building, such as the laundry, move to the closest safe space. This could be inside your flat, a neighbour's flat, a protected lobby or staircase, or a safe space outside of the building.
- Call 999 and ask for the Fire Service as soon as you're in a safe place.
- If you move to safety, but you have left others in their original location because of mobility issues, tell the emergency operator:
- where the person has been left
- anything that may affect their ability to evacuate without assistance, such as relying on oxygen tanks
- Do not try to put the fire out, leave that to the Fire Service.
If there is a fire in your flat, leave as quickly as you can and call 999.
What to do if there's a fire in your home
If your building has a simultaneous evacuation policy it means:
- the building isn't designed or built well enough to stop a fire spreading, so residents may not be safe staying in their flats until the fire is put out
- the building has a fire alarm system throughout the building that will alert you if there's a fire in another part of the building, you must leave at the earliest opportunity.
- you must not remain in the building if you hear the fire alarm, ignoring alarms can put your life at risk
Waking Watch
Some of these buildings have a Waking Watch, a team of people who regularly patrol communal areas to look for signs of smoke or fire in the building.
We'll write to you if this is at your building.
You can help us prevent fires in communal areas of your building.
Keep corridors, lobbies, stairs and walkways clear of any items that could start or add fuel to fire such as:
- furniture
- rubbish
- discarded household items
- paint or paint thinners
- gas cannisters
- fuel cans,
- E-scooters, E-bikes and mobility scooters
Keep hallways, staircases, and exit routes clear of anything that could block people during a fire such as:
- prams
- wheelchairs
- laundry
- shopping trolleys
Get rid of household waste properly.
Do not throw items into the general waste that could start a fire, such as:
- batteries or electrical items containing batteries, including vapes
- flammable liquids
- cigarettes that have not been stubbed out properly
Do not block or prop open fire doors. Fire doors are there to control the spread of smoke and fire in the event of fire, which open or damaged doors cannot do.
Do not damage, remove, or cover smoke or heat detectors in communal areas of the building. Fire devices are there to raise the alarm as quickly as possible when smoke or fire is detected.
We have a non-smoking policy in the communal areas of our buildings, so you must not smoke there.
Report a repair if you have a concern about:
- a potentially defective fire door
- missing or damaged fire detectors in a communal area
Living in a flat: your responsibilities and advice on living in a council flat
Do not leave mobility scooters, E-bikes or E-scooters in communal areas such as landings, stairwells, walkways and community rooms.
Some blocks of flats have mobility scooter storage that you can use.
If you live in a council home and you share common areas such as corridors, walkways and stairwells, you must register your mobility scooter with us.