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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:
Dreamer2525 · 25/07/2026 23:10

I read this earlier and could not wrap my head around it - 'so she slept alongside her young children with her earplugs in'.

What if her young children woke too and were calling out for her? It baffles me!

justasking111 · 25/07/2026 23:06

I saw that interview. I wouldn't have slept. I might have dozed in a chair. As I did when DS was in hospital. It was baffling.

Glittertwins · 25/07/2026 22:59

It was a very odd decision to put in earplugs when there’s something like that going on. I don’t understand why she did it.
We’ve been to a campsite in that area and there were fires then, it was like a tinderbox on the forest roads. We had planes flying into the lake to pick up water to drop down and the car was covered with ash. We also had to take a minor detour when leaving but it wasn’t an evacuation order.

thetinsoldier · 25/07/2026 22:57

purpleme12 · 25/07/2026 22:43

It is really scary

I wouldn't even hear a text while I was asleep anyway though

And how do they know to text you if you're there on holiday?

They just do. And it’s a loud alert, not just a text.

thetinsoldier · 25/07/2026 22:57

Absolutely bonkers. And we are in Bordeaux right not.

IberianLynx · 25/07/2026 22:44

Yes, saw that, it’s one of those shorts on the BBC iPlayer news section. I got the impression that she didn’t believe that anyone had knocked to warn her, but she had earplugs in? Why!?

purpleme12 · 25/07/2026 22:43

It is really scary

I wouldn't even hear a text while I was asleep anyway though

And how do they know to text you if you're there on holiday?

PensionPTake · 25/07/2026 22:40

I saw this earlier and was gobsmacked at the stupidity.

TheresMillionsOfGeoffreys · 25/07/2026 22:37

Being charitable, maybe she wanted a good night's sleep in case of long travel the next day - and thought she'd hear an alarm through earplugs? But yes, it's certainly not a choice I'd make.

I find these wildfires just terrifying. We actually almost booked to go on holiday right here but the place we were looking at booked up really quickly. I'm worried as to how many fires there have been and how frequently they are now.

TokyoSushi · 25/07/2026 22:31

Yeah, you’d keep an eye on the situation wouldn’t you?

OwlBeThere · 25/07/2026 22:31

I don’t read her words as indignant? just factual. Its definitely a
weird decision to make though!

Original poster
AsYouSaid · 25/07/2026 22:30

Gloriousgardener11 · 25/07/2026 22:27

My exact thoughts, stupid person!

If it wasn’t so life threatening, I would have laughed, assumed there was a punchline or something…but nope!

OP posts:
myfavouritemutant · 25/07/2026 22:29

Whereas someone else I heard about (or perhaps it was a poster on here actually) said they set their alarm every 30 minutes throughout the night to check for alerts. Seems much more sensible to me!

Gloriousgardener11 · 25/07/2026 22:27

My exact thoughts, stupid person!