The Royal Commission into Bushfires saw fit to retain the flee or flight policy that has always been in place in Victoria. In my opinion this was the best possible outcome, as evacuation is never the best option for more reasons than I will mention here. There are dwellings and settlements in this state, and probably others, where the road is like a pipe, and where the residents would have to traverse along it with trees on either side. This could be very hazardous and as seen by the 2009 bushfires, and could leave people exposed between the burning trees on either side of the road, within their burning cars, if the fire takes a turn unexpected and unpredicted.
In a compulsory evacuation scenario there is no leeway. The decision to evacuate might be made by a person who gets it wrong, and this could cause all manner of problems, so instead of getting people to safety, people could be sent into danger, and instead of individuals being injured or dying, masses could perish. Another problem with evacuation is that each persons circumstances are different, causing more headaches for those responsible for the evacuation. Some people can leave in a moment, while others would take ages to put in order the things that will give peace of mind. There are animals to consider for some, while possessions are the main reason for people to be reluctant to leave their places of residence. Evacuating too early places a greater burden on catering and leaving it too late has been mentioned above.
Choice has been retained with fight or flee, and choice is the most important element in every matter of life. No one has been told they must remain with their property, and even insurance companies are willing to pay out if people leave their homes and property to the mercy of fire. So people may leave if they wish, and many will do so, valuing their lives before their property and some cases even their pets. If timing is the main factor that could result in disaster, then this could be misinterpreted by the individual or the professional responsible for evacuating people.
The situation with fires that consume forest and suburb is, that nothing is certain, and that can be seen where houses remain standing, untouched, and yet everything around them has been burnt, and for this reason there can never be a hard and fast rule that would apply to all people.
