snip...
It's 5 degrees outside now, so I don't think I'd be hanging around to keep looters away from my smoke-damaged belongings.
...snip
Good point. I think a real answer from me is going to be highly condition specific.
-Who is with me at the time?
-How is everyone's health?
-Were supplies for sheltering in placed damaged or lost in the event?
-How far away are alternative living arrangements?
-How does weather complicate the issue? Extreme heat, ice, etc.
-Has martial law been declared due to the event?
-How widespread is the event? House fire (localized) or catastrophic flooding (widespread).
I'd hate to know how far we could drag out this list but you see where I'm going.