A catastrophic fire swept through a high-rise housing complex in Hong Kong, killing at least 75 people and leaving an estimated 300 residents still missing. The disaster has triggered public shock and mounting debate over whether the blaze was intensified by the city’s longstanding reliance on bamboo scaffolding, the cheap non-fire-retardant construction nets surrounding the towers, or a combination of both. The scale of destruction has now forced Hong Kong authorities and building-safety experts to confront urgent questions about construction materials, regulatory oversight, and renovation-site fire safety in one of the world’s densest urban environments.
The blaze erupted on Wednesday afternoon while the public housing blocks were undergoing renovation. The entire outer shell of the 31-storey towers was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and layers of green plastic construction mesh. Within minutes, flames raced up the exterior as residents became trapped inside their flats, cut off by smoke and blocked exits. Fire and rescue teams battled for hours, attempting rooftop evacuations and internal stairwell rescues as temperatures and smoke intensified. By the next day, dozens of bodies had been recovered, hundreds of families were still searching for missing loved ones, and the fire was already being labelled the deadliest in Hong Kong’s history.
As investigations began, online discussions exploded. Some residents and industry commentators blamed bamboo scaffolding, a traditional construction method used in Hong Kong for generations. Although bamboo is admired for its flexibility, affordability, and sustainability, critics noted that its vertical arrangement on high-rise buildings makes it highly effective at transmitting flames upward, creating what experts described as a near-perfect “ladder of fire.” Under dry or windy conditions, the poles ignite rapidly and can spread flames along the building façade faster than firefighters can respond. Officials have documented more than 20 industrial accidents tied to bamboo scaffolding between 2019 and 2024, reinforcing safety concerns around its use on tall buildings.
However, another group of experts—and countless residents who watched the blaze unfold—argue that bamboo alone does not explain the fire’s speed or intensity. They point instead to the plastic scaffolding nets and protective sheeting imported from mainland China, materials that cost far less than certified fire-retardant versions but are known to burn like fuel. Viral videos showed huge sheets of the mesh melting, dripping, and feeding the flames within seconds. Investigators later confirmed that polystyrene boards had been installed over some windows—another flammable material that could have trapped residents and accelerated the inferno. These findings prompted widespread outrage and accusations of corner-cutting by the construction company overseeing the renovation.
Police have already arrested three people—including two company directors and a consultant—on suspicion of manslaughter. Officials stated that “unusual building materials” were used in violation of safety standards, and evidence is being collected to determine whether negligence or cost-cutting decisions contributed directly to the deaths. Authorities also believe that the renovation site lacked proper fire-breaks and escape-route safeguards, raising the possibility that regulatory enforcement and inspections failed at multiple levels.
The tragedy has now put Hong Kong’s construction industry under a microscope. For years, the government defended bamboo scaffolding as culturally unique yet structurally reliable. Even in July, when asked about banning bamboo, the labour secretary responded that no such move was planned. In 2024, officials instructed only half of all new public works projects to switch to metal scaffolding while allowing private builders to continue using bamboo. The deadly blaze has now reopened that decision, with critics accusing the government of ignoring repeated warnings from engineers and safety specialists.
Alongside bamboo, the debate over substandard construction nets has grown more urgent. Some residents say fire-resistant nets are rarely used because they cost more, while illegal or uncertified materials are cheaply available across the border. Commentators have also highlighted the lack of independent monitoring during large-scale renovations and raised concerns about untrained or informal labour practices.
A multidepartment investigation and a special task force have now been formed to inspect active high-rise renovation sites across the city, especially those covered in scaffolding and mesh. For families awaiting news of missing residents, the technical debate offers little comfort. But for Hong Kong’s urban planners, architects, regulators, firefighters, and political leaders, the tragedy has become a painful turning point—forcing the city to confront whether long-standing construction traditions, profit-driven shortcuts, and gaps in enforcement created the conditions for a preventable disaster.
Whether the fire was fuelled primarily by bamboo, flammable Chinese nets, polystyrene boards, or a combination of multiple safety failures will become clearer as the investigation continues. What is already undeniable is that the catastrophe has shaken public faith in Hong Kong’s building safety systems and triggered a reckoning over how one of the world’s most modern skylines could become the site of a towering inferno.
