(no subject)

[catsidhe]

There is going to be a Royal Commission, and the question is being asked around the traps “How could this happen? The advice to run or hide is good, why didn't it work?”

I have a submission as to that, based solely on the descriptions of the survivors:



There was no time to run, and there was nowhere to hide.




There is no planning for something like this, beyond that of the CFA and other organisations wh have, through superhuman effort, prevented the tragedy, the disaster, the holocaust from being orders of magnitude worse.

Comments

[catsidhe.livejournal.com]

It would be a valuable addition to plans for new houses, but I think you're underestimating “worst-case”.

It would be an excellent plan for everything up to very bad situations, but this was worst case, where they didn't know they were in danger until there were literally 40 foot flames at the back door. The fire was moving at 160kph, or more. They saw smoke (if they were looking in the right direction), then the building was on fire. Worst case is where the cellar does you no good at all, because you don't have time to get into it.

Like I said, you can't plan for that.

[sjl.livejournal.com]

Point.

[omnot.livejournal.com]

On days of "could be worse than Ash Wednesday, the fireys are putting on their brown trousers" weather, there is plenty of warning that lets people know that the bunker is a great place to spend the day listening to the radio and playing board games with the kids. I mean, can you imagine the difference that kind of facility and mind-set would have had if even every fifth house had a bomb-shelter to stash kids and non-fire fighting civilians in?

I'd rather have a bunker than not, but I suppose having a bunker might instill a false sense of security, causing more people to stay and (in your scenario where the people are going about their business above ground in 45 + degree heat and high winds instead of hiding out) cause more deaths on balance.