Building Safety Act · Mandatory · Pre-Construction

Fire Safety Strategy Document

A document setting out the fire safety strategy covering means of escape, detection, suppression, and compartmentation.

Last reviewed: 29 March 2026 — This guide reflects UK law as of this date. BSA 2022 / Building Regs B remains current with no amendments enacted as of 29 March 2026. Next scheduled review: 29 March 2027.

Legal basis	BSA 2022 / Building Regs Part B / RRO 2005
Status	Mandatory — design phase and golden thread requirement
Responsibility	Fire Engineer
Gateway 2	Fire strategy forms key part of the fire and emergency file
Post-Grenfell	External wall fire performance is the most scrutinised element

1. The Fire Safety Strategy — The Design Narrative for Fire Safety

The fire safety strategy is the document that explains the designer's intent for how the building will perform in a fire — how people will escape, how the fire will be detected, how it will be suppressed and contained, how the fire service will fight it, and how the external walls will not contribute to fire spread. For higher-risk buildings, it is one of the most scrutinised documents in the Gateway 2 application.

The fire strategy must be kept updated throughout construction — reflecting any approved changes to the design that affect fire safety — and passed to the PAP as part of the golden thread at handover. In occupation, the PAP uses the fire strategy as the baseline against which the fire risk assessment is conducted and the Safety Case is maintained. Changes to the building in occupation that affect fire strategy elements require the strategy to be updated.

The external wall fire strategy is the highest priority element for post-Grenfell HRB compliance — get specialist input

The fire performance of the external wall system — cladding, insulation, and cavity barriers — is the single most scrutinised element of any post-Grenfell HRB fire strategy. The specification must be supported by appropriate test evidence (BS 8414 large-scale fire test or desktop study under BR 135). MHCLG guidance and BSR guidance on external wall systems must be followed. This is not an area for general building designers — specialist fire engineering input is essential. See K8 for the Cladding/Facade Specification Record.

2. Fire Safety Strategy Document — Content

The following table sets out the required content of the fire safety strategy document for an HRB.

Field	Description
Building description	HRB address, height, storeys, occupancy. Project phase and version number.
Design standards	Building Regulations Part B (current version). Any alternative approaches to compliance. Relevant British Standards.
Means of escape	Escape route design: protected staircase(s); horizontal escape; travel distances; refuge areas; escape routes for mobility-impaired. Post-2026: second staircase provisions where applicable.
Fire detection and alarm	System type, category, detection coverage. Alarm zones and configuration. BS 5839-1 compliance.
Fire suppression	Sprinkler system coverage. BS EN 12845 compliance. Residential sprinklers: BS 9251 (new standard from 2021).
Fire compartmentation	Compartment sizes. Fire resistance of floors and walls. Fire doors — ratings and locations. Cavity barriers.
External wall system	Summary of external wall specification. Fire test evidence reference. See K8 for full record.
Fire service facilities	Dry riser / wet riser provision. Fire service access route. Fire fighting lift. High point.
Evacuation strategy	Stay-put vs simultaneous evacuation. Evacuation management strategy. EAL (Evacuation Alert System).
Prepared by	Fire engineer name, qualifications (IFE/CEng). Signature. Date.
Review history	Version; date; nature of revision.

3. Common Mistakes

Fire strategy not updated when construction changes are made

A change to compartmentation details, cavity barrier positions, fire door specifications, or the external wall system must be reflected in the fire strategy. An outdated fire strategy that doesn’t reflect the as-built fire safety design is an inaccurate golden thread document.

Generic fire strategy not prepared by a qualified fire engineer

For HRBs, the fire strategy should be prepared by a qualified fire engineer (IFE member; CEng in fire engineering). A generic strategy prepared by an architect or building control consultant without fire engineering competence may not be adequate for the BSR’s Gateway 2 assessment.

External wall fire performance not adequately evidenced

The fire performance of the external wall system must be supported by appropriate evidence — not assumed. The fire strategy must reference specific test data or desktop study conclusions for the actual system as specified and built. Generic reference to ‘limited combustibility’ without specific evidence is inadequate.

Not addressing evacuation strategy for mobility-impaired residents

An HRB fire strategy must address the means of escape for residents who cannot use stairs without assistance. This includes refuge spaces, evacuation lifts (where applicable), and the Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) system. This is increasingly important in taller HRBs.

Stay-put policy not reviewed against the actual building’s fire performance

The traditional ‘stay-put’ evacuation strategy for residential HRBs assumes adequate compartmentation and fire resistance. The fire strategy must justify the evacuation strategy based on the actual building’s fire protection features — not apply stay-put as a default.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the fire strategy and the fire risk assessment?▾

Fire safety strategy: a design document prepared during design/construction that describes how the building achieves compliance with Building Regulations Part B. It is forward-looking (how the design will perform). Fire risk assessment: an operational document required under the RRO 2005 for occupied buildings. It assesses the fire risks to persons in the building and the adequacy of existing fire safety measures. It is backward-looking (is the existing building adequately safe?). The fire strategy informs the fire risk assessment — showing what was intended to be in place. The fire risk assessment confirms what is actually in place.

What are the Building Regulations Part B requirements for HRBs regarding second staircases?▾

Approved Document B amendments coming into force from 30 September 2026 will require new residential buildings over 18m to have at least two staircases. Buildings in design at the time of this guide (March 2026) should be checking their compliance position with current and forthcoming Part B requirements. The transition provisions for projects already through Gateway 2 should be checked at hse.gov.uk/building-safety and gov.uk/building-regulations.

What is an Evacuation Alert System (EAS) and is it required?▾

An Evacuation Alert System provides fire service personnel with the ability to send a simultaneous evacuation signal to all or part of a residential building, overriding the normal stay-put strategy. BS 8629 covers the design and installation of EAS systems. From 1 January 2023, new residential buildings over 11m are required to have an EAS installed. The fire strategy must address EAS requirements for HRBs.

What fire engineering qualifications are required for HRB fire strategies?▾

For higher-risk buildings, the fire strategy should be prepared by a person with appropriate fire engineering competence. Relevant professional bodies include: Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) — Membership or Fellowship (MIFE/FIFE); Engineers registered by the Engineering Council with a fire engineering specialism; Chartered Building Engineers (MCABE) with fire engineering competence. The Building (Higher-Risk Building Procedures) Regulations competence requirements apply to all persons carrying out design work.

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