The Stay Put policy follows simple guidelines; those occupants of the flat where the fire started must evacuate the premises and summon the Fire Service. If a fire occurs in a common area, people in that area should leave the building and call the emergency services.
The remainder of the building’s occupants are often safer to remain in their flats, unless told otherwise by the Fire Service. As well as avoiding unnecessary evacuations, this also means that residents from unaffected flats are not blocking the stairways and exit routes, and the fire service, when they arrive, can safely evacuate residents floor by floor if need be.
The safety of residents staying in a building, however, relies on the presence and correctness of compartmentation.