the missus and I went to this island off the coast of malaysia. it was low season, and only one place was open
the hotel had a chain of little thatched bungalows, arranged in horseshoe shape around a bar restaurant facing the beach, though we got the cheap room above the bar. After lunch one day, smoke started coming out of one of bungalows. before our eyes this quickly turned to flames and spread to the roof. I don't know what was in the thatch, maybe tarpaper, but it burned rather well. In an unfortunate design the roofs of the neighboring bungalows were so close that the flame spread first to one joining roof, then the other. the guests in one were caught by surprise and had to crawl out the window.
we all pitched in, making a human bucket chain to the beach but it was quickly apparent to me that the water this delivered was inadequate. I had my go up on the roof of an unburned bungalow trying to stop it catching, but the intense heat soon forced me off and the roof went up shortly after.
It was then I noticed some large blue plastic barrels stacked quite close to the blazing fire. They were already too hot to touch. And they were full of diesel. I alerted the hysterical owner and a few of us kick rolled the barrels to the relative safety of the beach.
The bucket chain was fighting a losing battle. About eight of the twelve or so bungalows were on fire, and I noticed the last bungalow was connected the main building with a wooden trellis and hoarding. I got a German bloke to help me and together we kicked it down so at least that wouldn't go up too. I guess with my stuff already safe I was able to assess the situation with a slightly clearer head.
They lost all the bungalows in the end. The owner was sobbing and inconsolable. I gathered he'd invested everything. Another german couple had been out skin diving and returned to find all their possessions, clothes and passports had been burnt, leaving them with only their bathers and rented snorkel.
My lesson: Despite movies of people running into burning buildings, proper fires are really really hot, even several metres away. And don't build highly inflammable roofed bungalows too close together.
( cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Mon 2 Feb 2015, 5:34, 3 replies)

Last year I took my wife to Indonesia

( Ghoti Fingers, Mon 2 Feb 2015, 8:02, closed)

Jakarta?

( Ghoti Fingers, Mon 2 Feb 2015, 8:02, closed)

No, we went by airplane.

( Ghoti Fingers, Mon 2 Feb 2015, 8:03, closed)