"From the point of personal preservation, the idea is to risk assess whether it's better to attempt a downwind, or partially downwind landing near the fire engine, or possibly a better landing away from it..."
That's a REALLY good point Shy - and to continue in a similar vein, (and I'll admit that my thinking has been coloured after having witnessed two fatal accidents when the pilot decided to turn back,) if you decide to go straight ahead and get it wrong; well IMHO as long as you're strapped in, hit wings level at minimum flying speed and into wind and (to quote Bob Hoover) "fly it as far into the crash as possible" and are prepared to sacrifice the aircraft by, for example, deliberately aiming at a gate and thus missing a wall - you really do have a good chance of surviving in most straight-wing single engine aircraft.
Conversely, if you decide to turnback and get it wrong you'll almost certainly die.
NOTE this isn't an observation on the accident to the Spitfire that started this thread. I believe Dan to be an exceptional pilot (we've never met) and am sure that he would've chosen the best option.