Tai Po inferno:
Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades
November 30, 2025
Last update: November 30 2025, 06:00pm
A disaster that will long be burned into Hong Kong’s collective memory ignited on Wednesday afternoon, November 26, 2025, at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Tai Po, New Territories. The fire quickly spread, engulfing seven of the eight 31-storey towers.
Wednesday, November 26 | ~2.51pm
A fire is reported on the podium at the base of the building. Authorities said mesh netting caught fire and soon spread upward.Wednesday, November 26 | ~3.02pm
Escalates to a No 3 alarm fire; the first group of firefighters arrive at the scene.
The blaze reached an unprecedented scale, escalating to the maximum Level 5 emergency. Hong Kong watched in shock and horror as the residential towers - covered in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh netting for renovation works - were engulfed in flames while firefighters battled to free trapped residents.
Wednesday, November 26 | ~3.34pm
Upgraded to a No 4 alarm fire 30 minutes later. The fire spreads with unusual speed.Wednesday, November 26 | Midnight
At 6.22pm upgraded to No 5 alarm, the highest level in Hong Kong, as the inferno rages.The death toll rises to 36 after midnight, as another 279 people remain missing.
It was Hong Kong’s worst fire in more than seven decades, and was only brought under control two days later. It resulted in the deaths of at least 146 people*, left dozens injured, and many more missing. In the wake of the disaster, 11 people have been arrested as investigations were launched into repair works and the presence of flammable materials.
*Casualty toll as of November 30, 2025
Wang Fuk Court was undergoing renovation work when it caught fire. The project was deemed mandatory after housing authorities flagged the residential complex for a building and window inspection in 2016 due to its age.
The roughly HK$300 million (US$38.6 million) renovation was met with objections from some residents over its expense. Despite the mandatory order, the project took eight years of planning and finally began in January 2024. It was originally scheduled for completion by the second quarter of 2026.
Flammable materials
The residential towers were covered by bamboo scaffolding and draped with green mesh netting, a standard practice in Hong Kong during renovation works. However, officials have said that mesh netting, waterproof tarpaulins and plastic cloths at the estate did not meet safety standards. A preliminary investigation found that highly flammable polystyrene foam was used to seal windows on each floor.
Bamboo scaffolding
Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction. It is flexible, strong and cheaper than steel and aluminium. Bamboo, as a material, is usually resistant to ignition, as it retains a significant amount of moisture, which slows combustion. But bamboo was a factor in the severity of the Tai Po disaster as the fires were so ferocious they burned the scaffolding, parts of which collapsed as the structures weakened. Fallen bamboo and other debris were reported to hinder firefighters’ operations.
In the wake of the disaster, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said the government would discuss with the construction industry how to transition fully from bamboo to steel scaffolding as soon as possible.
Hong Kong’s firefighters were put to the ultimate test by unprecedented conditions and the sheer scale of the inferno, which raged across multiple buildings simultaneously. Their work was made more challenging as firefighting equipment - ladders and hoses - could only manage to reach just over halfway up the 31-storey towers, as the fire spread rapidly to the upper floors.
Counting the casualties
Recovery teams searched the charred ruins of the towers in the aftermath of the fire, raising the death toll as the human cost became clearer. Hospitals treated the injured as government agencies and the Hong Kong community stepped in to help residents left homeless by the disaster.
Fires of record in Hong Kong
The 2025 Wang Fuk Court inferno stands as Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in more than seven decades. Here is a look at some of the deadliest and notable fires in the city’s recent history.