The Hong Kong Fire Services Department (HKFSD) is pushing back against public criticism regarding its operational tactics following a devastating five-alarm fire that erupted Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, resulting in multiple injuries and significant property destruction. Fire Commissioner Andy Yeung Yan-kin defended the HKFSD’s intensive, ground-based effort, arguing that emerging technologies like drones and helicopters were unsuitable for the specific constraints and rapid spread of this structural blaze.
The inferno, which was officially extinguished and concluded by 10:18 a.m. the following day, proved exceptionally demanding. Commissioner Yeung cited several factors that accelerated the fire’s severity, including the presence of highly flammable foam materials along internal stairwells and window frames. The rapid vertical and horizontal spread, coupled with simultaneous outbreaks in numerous unit locations, overwhelmed conventional response efforts and generated an unprecedented volume of emergency calls.
Why Advanced Aerial Tools Were Ruled Out
A key point of contention involved public suggestions that the HKFSD should have deployed advanced aerial firefighting tools. Commissioner Yeung addressed these concerns directly:
- Helicopters: Yeung cautioned that the powerful downdrafts created by helicopters could actually intensify the existing flames. Furthermore, aerial water drops are effective only on exterior surfaces, failing to penetrate the indoor zones where the majority of the fire was concentrated.
- Drones: While the HKFSD is currently trialing drone technology, Yeung explained that present systems cannot deliver the high volume of water necessary to suppress a multi-unit structural fire effectively, making them largely ineffective against blazes of this magnitude.
The exhaustive operation utilized massive resources: 391 fire appliances, 185 ambulances, and 2,311 fire and ambulance personnel. Despite the successful suppression, twelve firefighters sustained injuries during the effort, highlighted by one individual requiring intensive care for heatstroke.
Infrastructure Constraints Dictate Response
The Commissioner also shed light on why the department relied on its standard 56-meter ladder platform, despite calls for even higher reach equipment. The practical limits are rooted in Hong Kong’s urban infrastructure.
Deploying super-high ladder trucks requires significant roadway width for stability. Yeung explained that stabilizing outriggers must be deployed symmetrically on both sides of the vehicle. A platform capable of reaching 100 meters, for instance, would mandate an approximately 10-meter operational footprint—a width rarely available on typical Hong Kong streets. Consequently, the 56-meter platform utilized at Wang Fuk Court represents the maximum practicable height given the city’s narrow access and space constraints.
This incident underscores the complex challenges faced by metropolitan fire departments operating in high-density urban environments. While technological advances are promising, the unique structural and logistical realities of Hong Kong currently mandate reliance on established, robust ground-based techniques for catastrophic residential fires. The department affirms that ongoing research and testing of emerging technologies continue, but deployment must be balanced with operational safety and efficacy tailored to local conditions.