Boeing has a little line that says ...in the event of a failure after V1, there'll be no recall until 400 feet. Curious if AF had something like that, and why the crew deviated from it. I know it's easy afterward with time on our side to speculate, but something obviously went grossly wrong if all crew members were calling and doing different things and no one was running the show so to speak. Engine fire in itself over a short period of time is not that big a deal, plus if she's burning she's turning, might as well use the power until things are under control.
As for it missing a tall plastered-hair Frenchman, some one might say....too bad!