Do NOT tell your employer specifics. Tell them something generic like you are tired and need a good break to refresh. Don't try to justify or explain details.

Do NOT tell your employer specifics. Tell them something generic like you are tired and need a good break to refresh. Don't try to justify or explain details. Ignore the fire, there will always be fires, the company needs to learn to cope with it. You can be a bit more flexible, for example give them notice and set the date ahead of time and wait a bit to take some days off. If they say something you can point out that you haven't taken much vacation in the past year despite the policy and all that and tell them that it's not sustainable and you don't burn yourself out or accept fake unlimited vacation policies. In summary, just ask for a break, don't go into details trying to justify it, and take it without apologies.