Combustible materials, including wooden planks and cardboard, should be prohibited on the exterior walls of residential buildings undergoing renovation to prevent fires similar to the disaster at Wang Fuk Court, a fire safety expert testified on Thursday. Asif Sohail Usmani, an expert appointed by the independent committee overseeing the public inquiry into the November 26, 2025, blaze, stated that fire-rated scaffolding nets alone are insufficient to contain high-risk fires in densely populated areas.
The fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po resulted in 168 fatalities and displaced thousands of residents, according to official records of the incident. The inquiry, which is currently examining the structural and material factors that contributed to the rapid spread of the flames, is expected to conclude its current phase with final submissions scheduled for July 15.
Proposed Restrictions on Exterior Building Works
Usmani, who serves as the associate head of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, argued that the industry must move toward a complete ban on combustible materials on building exteriors during maintenance. He acknowledged that such a shift would impose additional costs on contractors but emphasized that the safety benefits outweigh the financial burden. He clarified that this recommendation does not require the replacement of traditional bamboo scaffolding poles, which remain a standard in the local construction industry.
The expert drew a parallel to the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, noting that even buildings with seemingly compliant materials can suffer catastrophic failure if those materials are exposed to heat. In the case of Grenfell, the warping of exterior aluminium cladding exposed internal combustible plastic, which served as fuel for the fire. During the Wednesday session of the inquiry, testimony revealed that non-fire-retardant scaffolding nets likely facilitated “secondary ignitions,” causing the fire to spread rapidly across foam boards and other materials present on the site.
The Role of Architectural Configuration in Fire Spread
The rapid transmission of the fire across seven of the eight residential towers at the Wang Fuk Court estate was largely attributed to the building’s design, specifically the recessed lightwells. Usmani testified that these structures intensified the “chimney effect,” a phenomenon where fire is accelerated vertically through a shaft. The blaze moved at an “unprecedented” rate, climbing approximately 10 metres in a matter of seconds, he told the committee.
In addition to the chimney effect, the committee heard testimony regarding the “leapfrog effect,” where flames jump from a window on one floor to the floor directly above. The presence of combustible materials within these lightwells further fueled the progression of the fire, turning the architectural features into conduits for destruction. Usmani recommended that future fire safety assessments treat lightwells in high-density housing complexes as vertical shafts requiring stringent protection measures.
Regulatory Recommendations and Oversight
Beyond the removal of combustible materials, Usmani advocated for a more holistic approach to fire risk assessment during renovation projects. He suggested that authorities implement heightened regulatory checks, particularly in buildings where residents continue to occupy their homes during construction. If a complete ban on combustible materials is deemed impracticable for specific projects, he recommended the installation of fireproof windows as a necessary mitigating measure.
The testimony provided on Thursday serves as a core component of the committee’s investigation into how the fire spread to multiple towers across the estate. By focusing on the structural configuration of the lightwells and the material standards of scaffolding, the inquiry aims to establish a new framework for building safety that accounts for the specific challenges of Hong Kong’s urban environment. The committee is set to hear closing submissions on July 15, which will precede the final report and potential legislative recommendations.
Readers interested in the ongoing proceedings of the Wang Fuk Court inquiry can monitor official government portals for transcripts and future safety advisories. We invite our readers to share their thoughts on these proposed safety regulations in the comments section below.
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