 "Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog detained eight people tied to renovation work at the high-rise where the deadly fire killed 128 people. (Reuters)")
A leading Hong Kong fire safety specialist has warned that inactive fire alarms at Wang Fuk Court may have significantly slowed the evacuation of residents during the fatal Tai Po blaze. Anthony Lam Chun-man, a former director of the Fire Services Department, said the extreme heat and intense flames both inside and outside the estate made it nearly impossible for firefighters to enter the buildings to fight the blaze and rescue occupants, reported the South China Morning Post.
Officials confirmed on Friday that alarms in all eight blocks of the estate had not sounded during previous departmental tests. Lam said this lapse could be fatal, as residents at home would have had no warning. He stressed that even a one-minute delay in responding could increase fire damage and determine survival.
The confirmation aligns with accounts from survivors who reported hearing no alarms when the fire broke out on Wednesday. A resident surnamed Lee said he learnt of the incident only when his wife phoned him. He initially believed the situation was safe, having seen no smoke or heard any alarms, but on opening the door and encountering smoke, he escaped immediately.
A social media post described how a member of the management team had knocked on doors to alert residents. The post thanked the caretaker of Wang Chi House for warning occupants to flee, noting that many had kept their windows closed for six months due to maintenance work and were unaware of the danger, reported the outlet.
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View AllThe Fire Services Department said it would pursue legal action against the contractor responsible for the faulty equipment at the estate, which is undergoing large-scale renovation and maintenance.
Firefighters faced severe heat and rapid spread
Lam urged property managers to train residents in the use of fire alarm systems. The exact model installed at Wang Fuk Court is not yet known, though many older residential buildings in the city use manual call points requiring the user to break a glass cover to trigger the alarm. He recommended that management companies work with the fire service to ensure residents and staff understand alarm systems and know the building’s escape routes.
He said firefighters should not be blamed for not entering the buildings sooner, explaining that intense heat and smoke likely prevented access. He noted that a breathing apparatus cylinder provides about 30 minutes of air, though actual usable time is often shorter and varies with conditions. In extreme situations, a firefighter may only advance around one metre in a minute while carrying heavy equipment and climbing to higher floors.
On Friday, Fire Services Director Andy Yeung Yan kin said highly flammable styrofoam attached to windows and corridors had fuelled rapid spread. Once ignited, the material caused flames to enter several flats almost simultaneously, forcing crews to extinguish certain areas before responding to calls for help. Yeung also defended the decision not to deploy helicopters for water drops, explaining that the water would have fallen onto the buildings rather than into the flats and that downdrafts could have intensified the flames.