Neither Hong Kong’s top “disaster” fire alarm signal nor an emergency alert system were deployed during the Tai Po fire because they were “not suitable,” a senior official has told a public inquiry. Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, pictured on November 29, 2025, in the aftermath of the fatal blaze. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of operations at the Fire Services Department (FSD), testified on Thursday before an independent committee investigating the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire in November, which killed 168 people.
The blaze was classified as a No. 5 fire at 6.22 pm on November 26 as flames spread rapidly and engulfed seven of the estate’s eight blocks.
The No. 5 alert is the second-highest fire alarm signal in the city, with the “disaster” signal being the highest.
Chan, who ordered the alarm to be upgraded to a No. 5 signal, said on Thursday that the fire was “unprecedented” and that the speed of its spread was “unexpected,” local media reported .
Victor Dawes, lead counsel for the committee, said the FSD deployed 391 fire engines, 185 ambulances, and 2,311 personnel during the blaze. Chan said it was one of the largest mobilisations of the FSD in his experience.
Chan said that, when he arrived Wang Fuk Court shortly after 3pm that day, firefighters were focusing on removing debris blocking the two worst-hit towers, Wang Tai House and Wang Cheong House, to ensure safe passage into the buildings. The Fire Services Department emblem. File photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP. As night fell, senior commanders were positioned at each block to take charge of the rescue missions, Chan said, adding that he believed the number of firefighters on the ground was “enough.”
However, with calls for help rising and the blaze persisting, Chan ordered the signal be raised to a No. 5 alert to step up the “command structure,” he said. At that time, there was already “six times” the manpower required for a No. 5 fire, he said.
A No. 5 fire normally sees at least 150 firefighters deployed to the scene, according to publicly available information.
He said some firefighters risked not putting on their oxygen masks after they started going up the buildings so that they could save those trapped on higher floors.
“There was heavy smoke and heat in the stairs… I understand that some colleagues took a risk to try to endure as long as possible before they turn on the oxygen supply, so that they can reach higher floors to carry out rescue,” he said in Cantonese.
Emergency alert
When asked about why he did not raise the highest disaster alarm signal, Chan said that signal is for citywide events involving multiple incidents across districts. That scenario would have to be one that overwhelms the capabilities of the FSD to the point that the People’s Liberation Army stationed in Hong Kong may be needed for assistance, he said.
He said that, in hindsight, it “would have helped a little” if the FSD raised the No. 4 signal earlier during the Wang Fuk Court blaze. On that day, the FSD classified the blaze as a No. 3 fire at 3.02pm and raised that to No. 4 at 3.34pm, according to the government. The Fire Services Department brought Wednesday’s deadly Tai Po fire under control in the early hours of November 27, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Chan also said senior FSD officials decided not to use the government’s emergency alert system for fear that it may create confusion among residents trapped inside the blaze.
Chan said FSD commanders were worried that an emergency alert may prompt residents to leave their flats and that they would face a greater danger when outside.
He added that text-based warning would only be issued to the public an hour after the alert system is activated, which would have been of limited help for the rescue mission.
Chan said that the FSD was focusing on calling the residents trapped in the blaze individually and a public announcement of the blaze was not required.
Fallen firefighter
Also testifying on Thursday, Tung Wing-kei, a divisional officer for breathing apparatus at the department, told the committee about equipment belonging to firefighter Ho Wai-ho, who died in the line of duty during the blaze.
The committee previously heard that Ho was likely to have fallen to his death after he mistakenly entered Wang Tai House. His breathing mask and helmet were later discovered on the 31st floor of the block. Judge David Lok (left), chair of the independent committee tasked with investigating the Tai Po fire, and members Chan Kin-por (middle) and Rex Auyeung (right) at City Gallery, Central, on April 8, 2026. Photo: Hillary Leung/HKFP. Tung said a metal valve controlling Ho’s mask had sustained “extremely rare” damage, which could have been caused by “severe impact.”
Ho also did not pass on a “red key” to a commander, which would have activated a firefighter locator system, Tung said.
Tung added that the FSD is procuring more advanced firefighter locator systems, which could emit two types of frequencies to bypass obstacles and its signals could reach up to 800 metres with interference.
Yeung Yan-kin, the head of the Fire Services Department, will testify before the committee when the hearings resume on Friday.