Please read the following advice from the City of London’s Fire
Officer on what you should do in the event of a fire and of
precautions you should take to prevent fires occurring.
You must ensure that you are familiar with your means of escape
(details are given in the residential handbook) and that you do not
impede access to these escape routes.
Barbican Estate buildings have been built to protect residents
in the event of a fire. The important thing to remember is that if
a fire starts in your home, it is up to you to make sure you can
vacate the premises.
Do not wait until a fire occurs - read this guide and decide the
best way for you and your family to get out of your home or out of
the building if there is a fire elsewhere. There may be more than
one way out. If you and all other people in the building observe
the following rules you will be much safer and less likely to start
a fire or be injured in one.
At all times:
- Make sure that smoke alarms (if fitted) in your home are
working. If not fitted consider installing them to give vital early
warning of fire.
- Do not store anything in your hall or corridor, especially
things that will burn easily.
- Use the fixed heating system in your home. If this is not
possible, use only a convector heater in your hall or corridor. Do
not use any form of radiant heater, especially one with either a
flame (calor gas or paraffin) or a radiant element (electric bar
fire).
- Use rooms only for their proper purpose, that is for sleeping,
sitting in or cooking. Do not use them as workshops or for storage.
Do not store anything in areas where meters are fitted.
- Keep all staircases, landings and balconies clear of
obstructions. Someone else’s escape may depend upon it.
- Do not block access to the building. It is important that
access roads to blocks of dwellings should be left clear at all
times to allow the Fire Brigade and the emergency vehicles to reach
the scene of an incident.
If a fire breaks out in your home:
- Leave the affected room immediately together with anybody else.
Close the door behind you.
- Do not stay behind and try to put the fire out.
- Tell everybody else in your home about the fire and get
everyone to leave. Close your front door and leave the
building.
- Only use the balcony if it is part of the escape route and you
are not able to use your normal exit route.
- Do not use the lift
- Call the Fire Brigade
If you see or hear a fire in another part of the building:
- It will often be safe for you to stay in your home.
- Call the Fire Brigade
- Close all doors and windows. If smoke or heat affects your
flat, leave at once.
- If necessary, the Fire Brigade will advise you to leave your
home. Evacuation of buildings should only be undertaken by the Fire
Brigade.
Causes of fire: Most fires are caused by carelessness or misuse
of appliances, such as
- Careless use of cooking appliances, particularly chip
pans.
- Careless use of matches and smoking materials.
- Airing clothes or other combustible materials close to sources
of heat such as storage or convector heaters which restricts the
necessary free circulation of air.
- Absence of adequate fire guards.
- Poor servicing of domestic appliances such as electric
blankets.
- Use or siting of portable heaters close to furniture and
curtains.
- Failure to disconnect radio, television or other appliances at
night or when away from home.
- Children playing with fire.
- Covering of storage or convector heaters which restricts the
necessary free circulation of air.