Earplugs? During a wildfire?

[AsYouSaid]

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

@Moistcottonchafers thank you for explaining how it worked

It goes to all phones in an area. I got one when in Devon and there was a storm; my phone is non-UK. Modern technology!

I'm still not sure I'd trust myself to wake up to it though. I guess I'd not go to sleep but hopefully won't come across it!

And it’s the alert that many people have disabled on their phones in the UK, because ‘who needs them’ ‘it’s too much like Big Brother watching you’, don’t trust our Government. Muppets

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

I think everyone is befuddled by this one. Lacking common sense AND survival instinct. Her poor kids. They must be terrified. I hope they all get out OK.

@sittingonabeach I have once a while ago. I don't know maybe I would wake up. I just know I'm a deep sleeper

I’m not a great sleeper anyway but would definitely be up all night, in a chair, checking outside, looking out of windows.

I wonder if some people go into ‘it won’t happen to us’ mode. On the coast this summer, sadly there have been a number of deaths in the sea, yet these continue with people still taking risks in the sea.

A drowning I read about abroad, even had the red flag on the beach, yet people were in it, unsafe and drowned.

I hope this family have been taken to safety from their holiday house. Frightening that everyone else had gone. It does put emergency services at more risk though.

Yes the fact that she’s outraged is the worst. She literally put herself and first responders at risk by her own actions and she’s outraged. What an entitled and stupid person.

She also continues to report dramatically on Twitter and Facebook. Looks like she’s a writer so maybe she craves drama and material for her writing. I honestly don’t understand the line of thought otherwise.

I read that article yesterday and thought wtf would you wear earplugs during an emergency like that! With kids! so not only your own safety hangs on you being a responsible adult but your children's as well!!

Disgraceful if she is putting the safety of her children and emergency services at risk, just for publicity!

Well I don’t think it’s a conscious decision to get publicity but some people are just subconsciously creating drama

I saw it and she said people would have knocked but she wouldn’t have heard, didn’t see any indignant behaviour. I just thought she’s alone with 3 dc & probably exhausted and wanted a good nights sleep hence the ear plugs but I’m not particularly judgy.

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

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.

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.

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.