Guide
What goes in a fire strategy report
A plain guide for UK fire engineers and project teams. By the Guidex team. Last updated 3 November 2026.
In this guide
What is a fire strategy report?
A fire strategy report is the document that sets out how a building’s design deals with fire safety. It explains how people are warned and get out, how fire spread is limited, and how the fire service gets access.
Most consultancies use their own template, so the exact layout changes from firm to firm.
What it usually covers
- Project
- B1
- B2
- B3
- B4
- B5
- Close
| Section | Typical content |
|---|---|
| Project | Building description, height, use, occupancy, scope and the guidance followed |
| B1 | Warning systems, evacuation strategy, travel distances, escape stairs and protected routes |
| B2 | Wall and ceiling linings |
| B3 | Fire resistance periods, compartmentation, cavity barriers and any sprinkler provision |
| B4 | External wall build-up, roofs and space separation |
| B5 | Fire service vehicle access, firefighting facilities and access into the building |
| Close | Assumptions, limits of the report, conclusions and recommendations |
Where it fits in a project
- DesignThe strategy is developed with the design.
- Gateway 2Higher-risk buildings need approval before work starts.
- Building workThe strategy guides what is built.
- Regulation 38Fire safety information is handed over.
Regulation 38. For buildings covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the person carrying out the work must give fire safety information to the responsible person. The deadline is completion, or occupation if that comes first and the building was empty during the work. Read Regulation 38. A fire strategy usually supports that information.
Gateway 2. For higher-risk buildings in England, building work needs approval from the Building Safety Regulator before it starts, and fire safety design information supports that application. Check the current regulator guidance for what your project needs.
The guidance. Many strategies are written against Approved Document B. Others use recognised routes such as BS 9991 or BS 9999.
Who is responsible for it
It is the engineer’s name on the report. This stays true when AI helps with the draft.
So an AI draft is a starting point. It is not a finished report.
How to reach a first draft faster
Much of the time goes on searching the guidance, cross-referencing and formatting. Guidex takes on that work:
- It reads the layout and flags design issues.
- It works through B1 to B5 with you in the loop.
- It drafts the sections in your company’s template, and respects your legal and liability wording.
- It helps fit marked-up figures into the report.
Read more about fire strategy AI.
This page is a general summary. It is not advice on a specific building.
See it on your own project
The quickest way to judge Guidex is to point it at a building you already know and check its answers against your own.