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Original poster

Earplugs? During a wildfire?

64 replies

AsYouSaid · 25/07/2026 22:26

I know the news story is about the devastating fires, but I couldn't get past one lady interviewed on BBC News.

You're alone in your holiday house with your children. There are wildfires nearby. You know there are alerts, and that the situation could change overnight.

So you put earplugs in... and go to sleep.

She seemed indignant because she slept through the evacuation order.

I'm genuinely struggling to understand her decision. In that situation I'd want every sense available – to hear sirens, neighbours, emergency services, or anything else that might mean it's time to get out. I’m not sure I would have gone to bed at all, or shut my eyes, never mind wear earplugs.

Thankfully, for now she and her children are safe, but stranded and cut off

Surely, choosing to block out the very warnings that could save your life, and your children's, seems an extraordinary lack of judgement.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80ny93xlrvo?app-referrer=deep-link

Pedestrians look at a cloud of black smoke covering the sky nearby of an area evacuated due to a wildfire in Lege Cap-Ferret.

Fleeing a wall of flames: Tourists describe France wildfires escape

Families visiting France have told the BBC how their holidays have become evacuation missions.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80ny93xlrvo?app-referrer=deep-link

OP posts:
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basketsmash · 26/07/2026 21:39

Dontgetstuckinthepast · 26/07/2026 18:30

Not really. I would never wear them as I'm a lone parent. I'm on 24/7.

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🙄

FlapperFlamingo · 26/07/2026 19:51

I saw that too! I was like “Just why?” No way could I have slept and I certainly wouldn’t have put ear plugs in. To be honest I’d have just gone I would be very scared and moved out, even if I lost money.

sittingonabeach · 26/07/2026 19:26

DoAWheelie · 26/07/2026 17:20

I'm deaf too, I didn't hear mine.

I tend to rely on flashing light devices rather than vibration ones as they work better for me, but my system isn't portable so I wouldn't have it with me on holiday.

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Do you have accessibility notifications set up on your phone?

BEAchDays2 · 26/07/2026 19:19

I know, what an idiot. Zero sympathy. I lol-ed.

Original poster
AsYouSaid · 26/07/2026 18:40

Dontgetstuckinthepast · 26/07/2026 18:30

Not really. I would never wear them as I'm a lone parent. I'm on 24/7.

Show quote history

I know I chose to compromise on bedrooms so that I could sleep on the same floor as my children, rather than two floors below them, worried about what would happen in a fire.

As a lone parent the responsibility is all on me.

OP posts:
ginasevern · 26/07/2026 18:35

I hate the idea of wearing ear plugs even under normal circumstances. I like all my senses to be fully functional at all times, but to be fair I do live alone. So the idea of wearing them when the apocalypse is unfolding all around you is beyond bonkers.

Dontgetstuckinthepast · 26/07/2026 18:30

basketsmash · 26/07/2026 17:20

So single parents should never wear ear plugs?

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Not really. I would never wear them as I'm a lone parent. I'm on 24/7.

DoAWheelie · 26/07/2026 17:20

palorina · 26/07/2026 17:12

As I said earlier, I am deaf (with some residual hearing left) and I heard the phone alert. It is LOUD.

Deaf people like me also have vibrate alerts for backup. It's how my alarm clock works!

Show quote history

I'm deaf too, I didn't hear mine.

I tend to rely on flashing light devices rather than vibration ones as they work better for me, but my system isn't portable so I wouldn't have it with me on holiday.

basketsmash · 26/07/2026 17:20

Kokonimater · 26/07/2026 13:21

Even without the wildfires, she’s the sole adult with children, what if one of the children was unwell or had an accident of some sort in the night? It seems irresponsible.

So single parents should never wear ear plugs?

basketsmash · 26/07/2026 17:19

JustGiveMeReason · 26/07/2026 13:17

I saw it and she said people would have knocked but she wouldn’t have heard, didn’t see any indignant behaviour.

This.
I don't think she was indignant / complaining, just explaining how she hadn't heard the warnings.

I guess some like to criticise

palorina · 26/07/2026 17:12

DoAWheelie · 26/07/2026 15:10

Putting aside her decision - she has highlighted an important issue of the alerts not being sufficient for deaf residents, putting them in more danger. Let's hope lessons are learned from this for the future and precautions taken for those more vulnerable.

As I said earlier, I am deaf (with some residual hearing left) and I heard the phone alert. It is LOUD.

Deaf people like me also have vibrate alerts for backup. It's how my alarm clock works!

DoAWheelie · 26/07/2026 15:10

Putting aside her decision - she has highlighted an important issue of the alerts not being sufficient for deaf residents, putting them in more danger. Let's hope lessons are learned from this for the future and precautions taken for those more vulnerable.

12234m · 26/07/2026 14:33

sittingonabeach · 26/07/2026 00:48

@purpleme12 have you not experienced the test alerts that they have done in this country? They are loud

Both times I didn't get one on my phone and I've not knowingly disabled them. I'd appreciate the warning!

12234m · 26/07/2026 14:30

I thought the same. And the implication it was someone else's fault and now responsibility to get them out.

BoredZelda · 26/07/2026 14:29

Like the couple who heard there were fires near where they were travelling to when they left London, then gave a “sad face” story to the BBC about how they were stuck inside watching movies. They said they didn’t think the fires would move so fast. My daughter remarked “have they seen fire? Is this their first day on earth? 😃

justasking111 · 26/07/2026 14:24

JustPlainStanfreyPock · 26/07/2026 14:12

Exactly, had an extreme weather alert on our phones in Greece and jumped out of our skins it was so loud.
Seems a bit odd, and I want to know what make those earplugs are if they can keep out that alert noise.

Saw Athens it's wild there

Earplugs? During a wildfire?
Dontgetstuckinthepast · 26/07/2026 14:16

Yes. Very weird.
I don't even wear ear plugs at home. Eye mask yes, but I want to be woken by noise.

I even had a nice little anxiety overthink this week and wondered what would happen if some idiot teens set a fire on the tinder dry field next to us and would the smoke wafting over the estate trigger my bedroom smoke alarm or would I hear the blue light sirens.......

JustPlainStanfreyPock · 26/07/2026 14:12

Exactly, had an extreme weather alert on our phones in Greece and jumped out of our skins it was so loud.
Seems a bit odd, and I want to know what make those earplugs are if they can keep out that alert noise.

PineappleCoconut · 26/07/2026 13:53

We received emergency text alerts about extreme weather in the EU earlier this year.

We’d gone to sleep knowing it was snowing, but weren’t in the same way concerned as we would have been with a wildfire.

Despite all sleeping with background music and the tv playing in different rooms, there is no way we could have slept through those. They were loud .
Seriously loud.
We all woke up extremely confused Blush

Kokonimater · 26/07/2026 13:21

Even without the wildfires, she’s the sole adult with children, what if one of the children was unwell or had an accident of some sort in the night? It seems irresponsible.

JustGiveMeReason · 26/07/2026 13:17

I saw it and she said people would have knocked but she wouldn’t have heard, didn’t see any indignant behaviour.

This.
I don't think she was indignant / complaining, just explaining how she hadn't heard the warnings.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 26/07/2026 12:20

And the alerts and knocking didn't wake the children?

Yeah, OK. She definitely didn't have anything that make her impossible to wake with loud alerts on her phone, small children and the noise of the entire town leaving.

palorina · 26/07/2026 12:20

I am partially (quite badly) deaf and wear aids in both ears. If I take them out, I rarely hear much going on around me.

BUT believe me, I heard the alerts where I was staying in Spain over Christmas last year after removing them and while sleeping! They are very very loud, for a reason! I don't understand how she couldn't have heard it herself, earplugs or not. BTW we had no idea that things were so bad there, as there were few items on the news about our specific area, but hey, we were warned in the end!

But anyway, (I didn't see the clip), the woman might have had a few glasses of Bordeaux to help her sleep like....thus her defensiveness - maybe.

OwlBeThere · 26/07/2026 12:12

Maybe she put them just as a force of habit or something? like how you know you have a power cut but still automatically try to flick the light on, kind of thing?

Also I didn’t realise it was a video interview o only say the written version so that’s probably why i didn’t understand about her tone being off.

basketsmash · 26/07/2026 12:00

@purpleme12you are like DH, would sleep through an nuclear bomb.

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