The instant and urgent movement away from a threat or hazard is a home fire evacuation plan. Evacuations are generally more common than most people realize, and they can be voluntary or mandatory. People usually are forced to flee their homes, neighborhoods, cities, and, in some cases, entire states due to natural disasters. Because you may not have much time to evacuate if a disaster strikes, it is critical to have a home fire evacuation plan in place to get your family out of harm's way as quickly as possible. Unless you live in a mandatory evacuation area, make sure to plan to shelter in place in your home if it is safe to do so.