Following a devastating five-alarm industrial fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on November 28, residents confirmed a critical failure of the building’s internal warning systems, prompting immediate government action against the maintenance contractor. The incident, which saw fire personnel force entry into hundreds of units during extensive rescue operations, highlighted vulnerabilities in alarm functionality and the use of highly flammable construction materials, rapidly spreading the blaze vertically across the complex. Officials indicated that the investigation would prioritize accountability for the system malfunction while also evaluating the effectiveness of standard high-rise firefighting protocols in the densely populated urban environment.
Alarm System Failure Sparks Investigation
The catastrophic fire presented several alarming failures in building safety infrastructure. Affected residents reported that despite the intensity of the five-alarm incident, which necessitated a massive response from the Fire Services Department (FSD), fire alarms within the building remained silent. Some occupants who attempted to manually activate the alarm units discovered they were unresponsive.
The FSD immediately dispatched a specialist team to inspect the system. While initial checks found the alarms had not been manually deactivated, subsequent testing confirmed they were entirely non-functional, failing to produce any sound. Consequently, authorities announced plans to pursue legal action against the third-party contractor responsible for the periodic inspection and maintenance of the crucial fire warning system.
Flammable Materials Accelerated Vertical Spread
The sheer speed with which the fire propagated across multiple stories concerned investigators. Preliminary analysis conducted by a government laboratory indicated that while the external protective netting surrounding the complex met fire-retardant standards, foam panels installed near windows and doors were highly combustible.
Investigators believe the fire originated in the lower-floor façade netting of Hong Cheong House before rapidly igniting the adjacent foam panels. This highly flammable material created a dangerous conduit, accelerating the vertical spread to higher floors. Furthermore, FSD noted that foam debris was discovered in stairwells and around apartment windows, contributing to simultaneous outbreaks across various blocks and triggering a flood of emergency distress calls.
During the extensive rescue operation, which lasted into the evening of November 27, firefighters saved one man from the 16th-floor stairwell of Hong To House. Teams forcibly entered approximately 1,800 flats to conduct comprehensive search-and-rescue sweeps.
Operational Constraints in High-Rise Firefighting
The FSD addressed public queries regarding the decision not to deploy advanced suppression tools, emphasizing the operational realities of fighting high-rise fires in Hong Kong.
Officials explained that helicopter water drops would not effectively penetrate internal fire compartments and could potentially worsen the situation by intensifying air movement within the burning structure. Furthermore, using tall aerial ladder platforms exceeding 50 meters often requires stabilization footprints that are unavailable on Hong Kong’s narrow, congested roadways, compromising safe deployment.
Regarding new technologies, the department classified drone-based firefighting as still experimental. Currently available drone hoses feature narrow diameters, offering insufficient water volume for effective suppression, especially when multiple units are alight concurrently. In a scenario with widespread, simultaneous fires, drones lack the capacity for impactful extinguishment.
The incident underscores the urgent need for stringent oversight of building maintenance contractors and an immediate re-evaluation of commonly used façade materials to ensure robust public safety in high-density urban housing.