IKnowPhysics

Hugh Hefner treats objects like women, man.

You should freelance as an SSL advocate. Dave can tell you how.

Given the distance you folks were at and the elevation that the rocket achieved, you probably weren't in serious harm's way, with possible exception of the deafening blast wave.

That said, it makes sense that the former firefighter had doubts. Interviews with NASA officials last night stated that the safety response to the explosion and fire was to secure a large perimeter around the crash site and let everything burn. No firefighters were allowed to engage the fire created at the launch pad. The reason for this is that it's impossible to know (until proper investigation) if a) all first stage fuel has been combusted; b) any or all of the second stage solid rocket fuel has been consumed by explosion or fire; c) any of the spacecraft's hazardous-to-breathe, hypergolic hydrazine or N2O4 fuel was either released or consumed by the crash/explosion/fire; or d) any launch pad fuel pumping or storage systems are damaged or at risk of exploding.

In other words, immediately post-crash, the crash site and launch pad are basically flaming hazmat sites with potential unexploded bombs scattered around. It's also within the realm of possibility that an explosion at-altitude can scatter these dangerous components over a wide area. So the correct action is to keep people away and watch it burn. The safety response teams are likely trained to know this, hence their legitimate concern.

UHF 2 through 8 CONFIRMED.

Plot twist: this intentionally failed AMA was a successful ad for employee loyalty at McDonalds.