When a fire breaks out, panic can override rational thinking and in those critical moments, instinct doesn’t always lead us in the right direction. Knowing what not to do in a fire is just as important as knowing the correct evacuation procedures. This guide covers the most common and dangerous mistakes people make during a fire, along with the reasoning behind each one.
Important: If you are in immediate danger, call 999 immediately. This guide is for general fire safety awareness and should be read as part of a broader fire safety plan, not as a substitute for professional fire risk assessments or trained evacuation procedures.
Do Not Use the Lift
Using a lift during a fire evacuation may seem like the fastest route out of a building, but it is one of the most dangerous things you can do. In a fire situation, lifts often malfunction or are automatically disabled as part of the building’s fire safety system. If a lift fails while you are inside, you could become trapped between floors with no means of escape and with smoke potentially filling the shaft.
Always use the stairs. If your building has a designated fire evacuation plan, follow it precisely. If you or someone in your party has mobility difficulties and cannot use the stairs, designated refuge areas, typically fire-protected spaces near stairwells, are the correct place to wait for assistance from the fire service.
Do Not Run
The instinct to run is understandable, but moving quickly through a building during a fire evacuation significantly increases the risk of injury. Running increases the chance of tripping over abandoned belongings, furniture, or other people, particularly in corridors or stairwells where visibility may be reduced by smoke. A fall or collision during an evacuation could prevent you and others from exiting safely.
Walk briskly and calmly. Stay low if smoke is present, as smoke rises and cleaner air is closer to the floor. Follow your building’s designated evacuation route and proceed to the assembly point without rushing.
Do Not Attempt to Fight the Fire Unless Trained
A common reaction is to reach for the nearest water source and attempt to douse the flames. However, this is only appropriate in very limited circumstances, and even then only when the fire is very small and you have a clear escape route behind you.
Water is not suitable for all fire types. Throwing water on an electrical fire can cause electrocution. Using water on a burning fat or oil fire such as a chip pan can cause a violent reaction that dramatically intensifies the fire. The safest course of action is to raise the alarm, leave the building, and call the fire service. If your workplace has fire extinguishers, only use them if you have received proper training in how to do so.
Do Not Break Windows
Breaking a window during a fire may seem like a sensible way to create an escape route or signal for help, but in most situations it will make things significantly worse. Fire requires three elements to sustain itself: heat, fuel, and oxygen. By breaking a window, you increase the supply of oxygen available to the fire, helping it to grow and spread more rapidly.
Smoke inhalation is the single largest cause of fire-related fatalities in England, accounting for around a third of all fire deaths, according to government statistics. Smoke is toxic and can render a person unconscious within minutes. Keeping windows and doors closed helps contain the fire and slow the spread of smoke, buying valuable time for occupants to evacuate or for emergency services to arrive.
If you are trapped in a room, close doors between yourself and the fire, seal gaps with clothing or bedding to prevent smoke entering, and signal for help from the window without opening or breaking it unless it is your only remaining means of escape.
Do Not Return to the Building for Belongings
Once you have evacuated a building, do not go back in for any reason, not for a phone, a bag, a pet, or personal documents. No possession is worth the risk. Fire conditions can change extremely rapidly; a room that appeared clear of smoke moments earlier can become untenable within seconds as fire spreads through ceiling voids, stairwells, and ventilation systems.
If you believe someone is still inside the building, do not attempt a rescue yourself. Inform the fire service immediately upon their arrival, they have the training, equipment, and protective clothing to re-enter a building safely.
Do Not Open a Door Without Checking It First
Before opening any door during a fire, check it with the back of your hand. If it is hot to the touch, do not open it – fire or extreme heat is likely on the other side. Opening a hot door can cause a sudden rush of flame, superheated gases, or dense smoke that can be immediately life-threatening.
If the door feels cool, open it slowly and carefully, keeping your body to the side. If smoke begins to enter, close the door immediately and find an alternative route or stay put and signal for help.
Do Not Ignore the Alarm or Assume It Is a False Alert
It is natural to hesitate when a fire alarm sounds, particularly in buildings where false alarms are common. However, treating every alarm as genuine until proven otherwise is essential. Delayed evacuation, even by a minute or two, can drastically reduce the time available to escape safely as fire and smoke spread rapidly through a building.
Never wait to see smoke or flames before acting. Leave immediately, follow your evacuation route, and allow the fire service or a responsible person to confirm it is safe to re-enter.
Do Not Prop Open Fire Doors
Fire doors are a critical part of a building’s passive fire protection system. They are designed to compartmentalise a building, slowing the spread of fire and smoke and protecting escape routes. Propping them open — even briefly — undermines this entirely.
This is a particularly common problem in workplaces and residential buildings, where doors are wedged open for convenience. It is also a legal compliance issue: fire doors must be kept closed when not in active use. Self-closing mechanisms should always be kept in working order and never disabled.
FAQs
What Should I Do If I’m Trapped By a Fire?
If you cannot safely reach an exit, move to a room with a window, close all doors between you and the fire, and use clothing or bedding to block gaps under doors to prevent smoke entering. Call 999 immediately and tell them your exact location. Signal from the window without breaking it if possible. Stay low to the floor where the air is cleaner.
Why is a Fire Evacuation Plan Important?
The scenarios described above become far less likely when a clear, practised evacuation plan is in place. A good fire evacuation plan should identify primary and secondary escape routes, designate assembly points, assign responsibilities to fire marshals, and make provision for anyone with mobility or sensory impairments. Plans should be reviewed regularly and practised through fire drills at least once a year.
What is the Importance of Smoke Alarms and Early Detection?
The earlier a fire is detected, the more time occupants have to evacuate safely. Working smoke alarms in the correct locations, tested regularly and with batteries replaced annually, are one of the most effective fire safety measures available. In commercial premises, integrated fire alarm systems with automatic detection provide an additional layer of protection.
Fire Safety for Your Business Done Properly
Understanding what not to do in a fire is just one part of a complete fire safety strategy. The foundations – proper risk assessment, correctly specified equipment, staff training, and clear evacuation procedures – need to be in place before an emergency occurs.
Thameside Fire Protection provides a full range of fire safety services for businesses including fire risk assessments, alarm installation, extinguisher supply and servicing, and fire marshal training.
Don’t wait until there’s a problem to think about fire safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first when a fire alarm sounds?
Treat every alarm as genuine until confirmed otherwise. Stop what you are doing, leave the building via the nearest safe exit — not the lift — and proceed to your designated assembly point. Do not stop to collect belongings. Once at the assembly point, report to your fire marshal and wait for the all-clear from the fire service or a responsible person.
Can I use a fire extinguisher if I haven’t been trained?
It is strongly advisable not to. Different extinguishers are designed for different classes of fire, and using the wrong type can make a fire significantly worse. CO2 extinguishers, for example, should not be used in confined spaces. Powder extinguishers can impair visibility and breathing. Unless you have received formal fire extinguisher training, your safest option is always to evacuate and call 999.
Is it safe to open a door if there’s a fire on the other side?
Before opening any door during a fire, check it with the back of your hand. If it is hot to the touch, do not open it — fire or extreme heat is likely on the other side. If the door feels cool, open it slowly and carefully, keeping your body to the side to shield yourself from any rush of heat or smoke. If smoke enters, close the door immediately.
Why is smoke more dangerous than the fire itself?
Smoke contains a mixture of toxic gases — including carbon monoxide — that can render a person unconscious extremely quickly. Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, meaning it can be inhaled in dangerous quantities before the person is even aware of it. Smoke also dramatically reduces visibility, making navigation through a building far more difficult. Staying low, where smoke concentration is lower, and minimising exposure time are critical factors in surviving a fire.
How often should fire drills be carried out in a workplace?
UK fire safety legislation requires employers to ensure that all staff are familiar with the fire evacuation procedure. Most guidance recommends conducting fire drills at least once a year, though higher-risk premises or those with high staff turnover may require more frequent practice. New employees should be briefed on evacuation procedures as part of their induction.
What is a fire refuge area and who uses it?
A fire refuge area is a protected space — typically adjacent to a stairwell in a fire-rated compartment — where individuals who cannot use the stairs unaided can wait safely for evacuation assistance from the fire service. Refuge areas are required in many multi-storey buildings and should be clearly identified in the building’s evacuation plan. They are equipped with two-way communication systems in many modern buildings.
Does my business legally need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, all non-domestic premises in England and Wales are required to have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment carried out by a competent person. This applies to workplaces, commercial premises, houses of multiple occupation, and many other building types. The assessment must be reviewed regularly and whenever significant changes are made to the premises or its use.