But it seems at best these fire resistant (proof?) "tents" may be providing false security to some folks who deserve better.
My condolences to the families and associates. d:^)
There’s a reason why it’s the last ditch protection device. It’s only used in a situation where the person is almost certainly going to die anyway, there’s a very slim chance of the fire passing the zone fast enough for the shelter to accomplish anything. It’ll will protect them from being in the center of the fire for a few minutes tops, if the fire hangs out in their area too long, or burns too hot forget it. It’s a slim chance off survival device used in situations with no chance of survival.
Shake and bakes are a last ditch effort. They do not always work, but most times they do. But with Az scrubby tree brush and a sudden wind shift they can cause a whole lot more heat for a whole lot longer than you can possible build for. If you are downwind of a fire that is starved for fuel, the incomplete combustion causes a massive spike in Carbon Monoxide.
A shake and bake is an insulated heat reflector, not and air supply system. With a grass fire it is possible to scrape all fuel away from a spot, deploy the tent and see if your will is strong enough to stay in the tent as the heat rises. If it is a flash fire, you will make it. But a wind shift with high winds can cause a fire storm that nothing can survive.
I don’t think there is much false sense of security with something that is explicitly a last-ditch device. Even if there is, so what? Personally, I’d rather die with a false sense of hope than no hope.
They do the same thing on airlines, telling people “in case of a water landing, your seat cushion can be used as a floatation device”. Nobody has ever landed a jumbo jet on the water without it disintegrating, so nobody will ever get the chance to drown, much less use a floatation device. But if it gives people some hope, and keeps them from panicking, what is the harm?