Grenfell Tower fire: What to do in an emergency

One neighbour said he believed someone had jumped from about 10 to 15 floors to escape the fire. Picture: SWNS

At least 50 people have been affected by the blaze, which struck the high-rise residential building in Ladbroke Grove, in West London, around 1am this morning.

It is not yet known what caused the fire to start, or spread so quickly, though it has emerged that Residents groups had warned of a potential ‘catastrophic’ event.

There has also been criticism of what appears to be a ‘stay put’ fire policy in the building, telling residents of the 120 flats in the block that they should be safe within their homes for 30 minutes.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has a number of clear instructions on what to do and, perhaps more importantly, what not to do in the event of a fire in your home.

They sum up their advice as being simply: “Get out, stay out, and call 999”.

The SFRS also urge residents to have a fire action plan and to not worry about possessions, no matter how valuable.

Their advice also includes:

What to do

- Stay low to the floor where the air is cleaner and cooler.

- Shout to warn your family or anyone nearby – even outside.

- If your clothing catches fire, stop, drop down and roll on the ground until the flames go out.

- If someone else’s clothing catches light, use a blanket, rug or thick coat to put out the flames

- If you can’t get out, stand by a window so firefighters can see you

- Never open a door if it’s warm to touch, there could be fire inside

What not to do

- Use a lift. Always take the stairs

- Stop to take anything with you

- Try to go back inside until a firefighter tells you it’s safe to do so

- Jump out of a window, unless you are sure it will be safe to do so

If you are unable to get out, the SFRS urge you to get everyone into one ‘safe’ room.

They also advice packing clothes, cushions, pillows, or towels around the door to keep smoke out, and open a window to shout for help.