YMMV. A friend of mine was recently in a fire, and several of her neighbors died because they tried to leave using the stairs, then succumbed to smoke inhalatio

YMMV. A friend of mine was recently in a fire, and several of her neighbors died because they tried to leave using the stairs, then succumbed to smoke inhalation. Everybody who stayed in their flats survived. I think it's awfully situational, but in the case of a fire, if you live in a house with decent fire standards (thick doors, fire-retardant insulation), I think you might be safer staying inside and waiting for a truck to come with a ladder. I would probably leave my flat through the window, with a rope. It's not terribly high, so if I mess up, I'd probably just break my legs.