The rescue work for the Level 5 fire at Hung Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, ended on November 28th. The fire, which began on November 26th, resulted in 94 deaths and 76 injuries, including one firefighter who died in the line of duty. It is the most serious building fire in Hong Kong in recent years. The preliminary investigation by the Fire Department shows that the bamboo scaffolding and non flame retardant protective nets used during the external wall maintenance of the 8 buildings involved were the key to the rapid spread of the fire. The bamboo scaffolding is flammable and prone to collapse at high temperatures, and the “flying fire” formed by the burning of plastic protective nets caused the fire to spread to 7 buildings. Previously, construction engineers had repeatedly complained that the protective net did not meet the standards, but it was not rectified. Compared with bamboo ladders, galvanized steel ladders have advantages such as non flammability, structural stability, and corrosion resistance. In the event of a fire, a few metal scaffolding areas can effectively slow down the fire and buy time for escape and rescue. Their technical reserves have become mature, with 7830 registered metal scaffolding workers in Hong Kong, three times more than bamboo scaffolding workers.

    After the Hongfu Garden fire, the Hong Kong SAR government quickly introduced a new building safety policy: the Buildings Department will conduct a comprehensive inspection of the fire prevention standards for all exterior wall maintenance projects in Hong Kong from today on, and any substandard projects will be suspended; The Labor and Welfare Bureau announced that starting from 2026, new public projects will be tendered, and non combustible scaffolding materials such as galvanized steel will be mandatory for high-risk floor maintenance, achieving the goal of “50% of public projects using metal scaffolding” ahead of schedule. The Architectural Services Department collaborates with the Construction Industry Council to provide skills training to assist bamboo shed workers in their transformation. The Fire Services Department plans to purchase additional lightweight galvanized steel rescue ladders to adapt to rescue operations in old residential areas. In response to the century old history of the bamboo shed industry in Hong Kong and the livelihood concerns of about 7000 practitioners, the government has introduced support policies such as training subsidies. Industry associations have expressed support for technological upgrades but require more transformation guarantees. Experts call for the establishment of a long-term mechanism, the implementation of a “layer by layer maintenance” model, the inclusion of galvanized steel in mandatory standards, and the optimization of costs and flexibility through technological innovation.