"Are there any other push button selections in the cockpit that have such a hit and miss design? Of course not - "but this is only DFDR so it doesn't"
Likely assumed to be the cynic here, there is this:
DFDR is basically "default quality control". CVR is sufficient, and generally is more efficient in post accident conclusions, since the interface is a driving metric?
An onboard "fire" is required to have a probability of "once every one billion flight hours"
Since there are demonstrably more hull losses than chunks of fleet flight hours in the billions, a fire is less common than losing a hull full of people....
The first bit of wreckage (447) pulled up, and spirited immediately away to Toulouse was the avionics equipment bay contents. "What's that smell?" We are to believe it was St Elmo's fire, a common source of O3, the aromatic that can prompt "What's that Smell?"
Obviously no post flight fire, due to its position in a sea of extinguishing fluid, the wreck had important digital data to give up...
"Command and control" is not limited to the military.
There are no, repeat NO unbiased people present at the scene of an airplane crash....
Only police, military, and "invited parties". Assuming an accident might lead to losses, including economic, political, and prestigial, it is only reasonable to see this as common....
At the inception of each hull loss, a representative of the flying public, (the Raison d'être of the industry) must be present, call this person(s) an ombudsman if you will.
If a United States President can concoct a story to allow an immense invasion of a foreign country (pick one of many, Iraq, Syria, Vietnam?) does one believe it is outrageous for a multi trillion dollar industry to merely "collect and protect all evidence, then issue a report"?
And be honest about it? What are we smoking?