Crans Montana Fire

[Lighthouse]

Seeing some of the videos on the BBC, words honnestly fail me. Literally dozens of people stood inside a burning with their smartphones out videoing the whole thing going on around them and not moving. It seems like it was only when the heat became unbearable that many of them were forced into a mad crush for the exits.

It's genuinely scary what smartphones and socially media have actually done to the collective psyche of society. Teenagers passively burning to death for likes on their Instagram reel.

[hypochondriac]

I'm responsible for fire safety at multiple places for a few years now and part of the training involves watching a few of these videos. You can't believe it still goes on and anyone with any training would be questioning things as soon as they walked in the room.

[S-Clarke]

2 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

Seeing some of the videos on the BBC, words honnestly fail me. Literally dozens of people stood inside a burning with their smartphones out videoing the whole thing going on around them and not moving. It seems like it was only when the heat became unbearable that many of them were forced into a mad crush for the exits.

It's genuinely scary what smartphones and socially media have actually done to the collective psyche of society. Teenagers passively burning to death for likes on their Instagram reel.

I saw those same videos actually, I thought the same. We live in this horrible selfie/views/influencer society. Everything is done for views and clicks.

Even at all the NYE celebrations around the world, all you saw were a sea of smart phones lighting up the sky recording it. Hang on, you're fucking well there - put your phone down, and record it with your own eyes and hear it with your own ears. 

Grumpy old man syndrome setting in I think. Either that, or the world is broken and I want to get off.

Edited Friday at 14:32 by S-Clarke

[aintforever]

This was the first thing I thought as well, the world has gone mad.

You are in a crowded building that has caught fire and there is just one exit via a narrow stare case, do you:

a) Help the fella try and put the fire out

b) Warn others and call the fire brigade

c) Run like fuck

d) Get your phone out and start filming so you get some attention on social media?

[inspectorfrost]

Had very similar thoughts myself, it's certainly part of a wider societal issue. It's not those kids' fault that they were born with a smartphone in their hand but it is like some fundamental disconnection from the world they're in. I also wonder if they're the colloquial darlings the world didn't want to upset when they were young, so weren't shown things like the equivalent of the Valley Parade Disaster at school. (Lesson 1 in how fast fire can spread)

There was also a promo of the bar doing the rounds on social media (may have been from October?) showing numerous people waving those champagne bottles/sparklers around. Whilst it's easy to be wise after the event you could see it was a disaster waiting to happen just looking at the building they were in. 

 

[Lighthouse]

23 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

Even at all the NYE celebrations around the world, all you saw were a sea of smart phones lighting up the sky recording it. Hang on, you're fucking well there - put your phone down, and record it with your own eyes and hear it with your own ears. 

Fireworks are probably the most absurd (non-lethal) use of smart phones I can think of. The entire point of them is to stand and marvel at the huge spectacle of light, colour and sound being played out across the night sky. When has anybody ever wanted to sit and rewatch fireworks on a four inch screen on their phone?! 

[sadoldgit]

What a nightmare. You would like to think, in this day and age, that there would be stricter fire precautions in place.

A young girl died in a house fire in the next village to us, Hamstreet, over Christmas. It is a relatively small community. My wife’s boss lives in the village and knows the next door neighbours well. They are devastated and that is one child. I can’t imagine how the deaths of 40 people affects a town.

The house is a semi on a new estate. It is terrifying how quickly the fire burned through a new house.

Edited Saturday at 18:30 by sadoldgit
Added text

[Gloucester Saint]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjdjl303zxlo
 

I suspected foam might be involved by the horrifically quick spread of the flames. Holding sparklers that close to a ceiling not bright but shouldn’t have flashed over like that. Some echoes of the New Jersey Station Nightclub Fire.

Edited Saturday at 21:37 by Gloucester Saint