The short answer
If your home is on fire, get everyone out, stay out and call 999: don't stop for belongings. If the police, fire service or council tell you to leave, go promptly by the route they give you; Be Ready says delaying can put your life at risk. If there's time, take your grab bag (medicines, documents, phone and charger, cash, torch, water, warm waterproof clothes), turn off gas, electricity and water if it's safe, take your pets, and tell your out-of-area contact where you're going. In a radiation emergency it's the other way round: UKHSA says don't leave unless you're told to.
Prints the checklist without the menus.
Do this now
- Fire? Get out, stay out, call 999. Don't stop for belongings (Be Ready).
- Told to leave? Go promptly, by the route the police, fire service or council give you. Be Ready says delaying can put your life at risk.
- Grab bag, if it's safe: medicines, documents, phone and charger, cash, torch, water, warm waterproof clothes.
- Gas, electricity and water off if it's safe. Never touch a switch while standing in water.
- Pets with you, then text your out-of-area contact where you're going.
- Never walk, cycle or drive through flood water. And in a radiation emergency, stay in unless you're told to leave (UKHSA).
Free: the Alert Action Card
The first six steps for a nuclear or radiation alert, a missile or air attack alert, no water from the tap and a power cut, on one page for the fridge, plus a phone version you can open offline. Every step checked against GOV.UK, UKHSA and Be Ready on 3 November 2026. No sign-up needed.
Print card (A4 PDF, light) Phone version (PDF)
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First: is this a "get out now" or a "get ready to go"?
Two very different situations get called "evacuating".
| Situation | What official advice says |
|---|---|
| Fire in your home | Get out, stay out, call 999. Don't investigate, don't rescue valuables (Be Ready) |
| Severe flood warning (danger to life) | Call 999 if anyone is in immediate danger. Leave if the emergency services tell you to (GOV.UK) |
| Flood warning (flooding expected) | Move people, pets and important things upstairs or to higher ground; follow the council or emergency services, who may ask you to leave (GOV.UK) |
| Gas leak | Call the National Gas Helpline on 0800 111 999, 24 hours (NHS lists it). Full steps: smell gas? what to do |
| Police or council at the door | Follow their instructions: they'll tell you where to go |
| Radiation or chemical release | Go in, stay in, tune in. Don't evacuate unless told to (UKHSA) |
| Wildfire smoke | Keep windows and doors closed; follow any instruction to evacuate or stay indoors (Be Ready) |
If you're not sure, our stay put or leave guide goes through how these decisions are made.
Fire: the first minute
Be Ready's steps, in order:
- Get everyone out as soon as possible. Don't assume children heard the alarm.
- Keep low if there's smoke; the air is clearer near the floor.
- Feel a door before you open it. If it's warm, don't open it: the fire is on the other side.
- Close doors behind you if you can.
- Call 999 once you're out. Don't go back in.
- Can't get out? Get everyone into one room, ideally with a window and a phone. Put bedding along the bottom of the door, call 999, then open the window and shout "help, fire".
Living in a flat? Your building may have its own fire plan. Check it before you need it: see emergency plans for flats.
Told to go: minutes 1 to 10
- Go when they say. Be Ready says always follow the council or emergency services if you're asked to evacuate, and that not evacuating or delaying can put your life at risk.
- Grab bag. If you packed one, take it. If not, take only: medicines and prescriptions, phone and charger, keys, wallet and cash, glasses, and a warm waterproof coat. The British Red Cross list is below.
- Switch off gas, electricity and water if it's safe and you know where the switches are (Be Ready). Never touch an electrical switch while standing in water. Our guide to turning off gas, electricity and water shows where they usually are.
- Lock up and take spare keys.
- Pets: take them with you if you can. Don't go back into danger for them.
- Neighbours: knock for anyone who may not have heard, if it's safe. If a vulnerable person won't or can't leave, tell the emergency services.
- Message family: one text to your out-of-area contact with where you're heading.
On the way
- Follow the route you're given. Responders may be using some roads.
- Never walk, cycle or drive through flood water. GOV.UK says it may hide sewage, debris, open drains and broken manhole covers. Be Ready says turn around and find another route.
- Don't put yourself at risk to move a car or belongings (GOV.UK).
- Go where you're told. UKHSA says local responders will tell you where to go; after a radiation release you may need a contamination check before you reach a rest centre.
- Don't go back until you're told it's safe.
What goes in a grab bag
The British Red Cross list, in short:
- Paper list of phone numbers
- Phone charger and power bank
- Some cash
- Torch and spare batteries
- Battery or wind-up radio
- Medicines and copies of prescriptions
- Basic first aid kit
- Hand sanitiser and wipes
- About three days of water and ready-to-eat food, and a tin opener
- Copies of documents in a waterproof bag
- Pen and paper
- Spare house and car keys
Useful extras: blankets, warm clothes, toiletries, a whistle, spare glasses. Our go bag guide and bug out bag guide go further.
Printable checklist: leaving home fast
Print this and keep it inside your front door or on the fridge.
Set up this week
- Pack a grab bag and put it near the door
- Copies of passports, birth certificates and insurance details in a waterproof wallet
- Agree a meeting point and an out-of-area contact with family
- Find your gas valve, electricity switch and stopcock
- Plan and practise a fire escape route; keep door and window keys where everyone can find them
- Sign up for flood warnings if you live in a flood area (Floodline 0345 988 1188)
When you have to go
- Fire: everyone out, door closed, 999, don't go back
- Told to leave: go promptly, by the route given
- Grab bag, medicines, phone, keys, cash
- Gas, electricity, water off if safe
- Pets
- Text your contact where you're going
- No walking or driving through flood water
What to buy
About these links: plain links to ordinary retailer pages. We may earn from some links in future; we don't now. We haven’t tested these and we don’t rank them: they are examples that were in stock when we checked. Prices change. Check what you already own first. Full kit list
A bag you can carry
Look for: Comfortable for a long walk, with room for medicines, documents, water, a torch and warm waterproof clothes.
Waterproof document wallet or resealable bags
Look for: Big enough for copies of passports, insurance details and medicine lists.
- Waterproof Document Pouch - Translucent PVC · EVAQ8 · £5.11 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Torch or head torch, plus spare batteries
Look for: Runs on the same AA or AAA batteries as your other kit, so one spare pack covers everything. A head torch leaves both hands free.
- Alpkit Ionic 350 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £15.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 155 LED Head Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Alpkit Kula 550 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 480 LED Hand Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £29.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Dynamo Powered Wind-Up Pocket LED Torch · EVAQ8 · £3.60 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Power bank
Look for: From a seller you know. Check the capacity (mAh) against your phone, and that you have the right cable for each phone. Keep it charged.
First aid kit
Look for: Waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash, sterile dressings, gloves, medical tape and tweezers.
- St John Ambulance Home First Aid Kit · St John Ambulance shop · £10.50 (price on 3 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Adventurer First Aid Kit · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £26.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Mountain First Aid Kit · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £42.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
What official advice doesn't cover
- Where your nearest rest centre is. Councils open them on the day. Listen for local instructions.
- A "safe place" to drive to. No UK body publishes one. Go where you're told, or to family outside the affected area.
- How long you'll be away. Pack for at least three days, as Be Ready asks.
No guide can promise you'll be safe. Leaving promptly when you're told, and not going back in, is what every source we checked agrees on.
Last checked
Steps checked against GOV.UK Be Ready (hazards, flooding, fires in the home) and UKHSA's radiation emergency advice on 3 November 2026. General information, not professional advice. Follow the emergency services on the day. In danger? Call 999.
Frequently asked questions
What should I grab if we have to leave home quickly?
Your grab bag, if you have one. The British Red Cross lists a paper list of phone numbers, a phone charger and power bank, some cash, a torch, a radio, medicines and copies of prescriptions, a first aid kit, documents in a waterproof bag, spare keys, and about three days of water and food. If there's a fire, take nothing: get out and call 999.
Should I stay put or leave?
Leave straight away if your home is on fire, or if the emergency services or your council tell you to go. For a radiation emergency, UKHSA says don't evacuate unless you're advised to, because leaving shelter can increase your exposure. Our stay-or-go guide covers the in-between cases.
Do I need to turn off the gas, electricity and water before I leave?
Be Ready says you'll need to turn them off if you have to leave because of flooding or a leak, but only if it's safe. Don't touch an electrical switch if you're standing in water. In a fire, don't stop to do it: get out.
Where do we go?
Where the emergency services tell you. UKHSA says that in an evacuation local responders will tell you what to do and where to go. Many people go to family or friends outside the area. Be Ready asks every household to agree a meeting point in advance, in case you can't get home or reach each other.
What about pets?
Take them with you if you can do it safely. Be Ready's flood advice says move your family, pets and important items to safety. Don't go back into danger for a pet: tell the fire service where it is.
Can I drive through flood water to get out?
No. GOV.UK says don't walk, cycle or drive through flood water, and don't put yourself at risk to move vehicles or belongings. Be Ready says if you come to a flooded road, turn around and find another route.
Sources
We opened each page on the date shown. Official advice changes: if a source says something different now, follow the source.
- GOV.UK Be Ready: Be informed about hazards (what to do if you are involved in an emergency: don't delay evacuating if asked) (read 3 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: Be ready for emergencies (grab bag, meeting point, turning off utilities, following the emergency services) (read 2 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: Fires in the home (get out, stay out, call 999) (read 2 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: Flooding (evacuation, utilities, Floodline) (read 3 November 2026)
- GOV.UK: What to do before or during a flood (read 2 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: Wildfires (follow any instruction to evacuate or stay indoors) (read 2 November 2026)
- UKHSA (GOV.UK): What to do in a radiation emergency (updated 10 September 2024) (read 3 November 2026)
- British Red Cross: Prepare an emergency kit (read 2 November 2026)
- NHS: Carbon monoxide poisoning (National Gas Helpline 0800 111 999) (read 2 November 2026)
Related guides
- Grab bag list UK: what to pack if you have to leave home
- Home fire escape plan: how to make one your whole household knows
- An emergency plan for flats: what's different, and what to ask
- How to turn off your gas, electricity and water
Free tools
We're an independent UK site, not the government. We check guides against official sources and link to them. In an emergency call 999.
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