The authorities are expected to brief lawmakers in April at the earliest on proposed amendments to fire safety regulations that will enhance fire prevention measures in buildings, with bills to be prepared by the end of this year, Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung Yan-kin announced Tuesday.
Speaking at the year-in-review news conference, Yeung said the legislative revisions, among a series of targeted measures prompted by the deadly five-alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po in November, aim to strengthen building fire safety measures across the territory.
The proposed amendments include requiring approval of the Fire Services Department (FSD) before any fire safety installations can be shut down, extending legal responsibility for fire prevention to property management companies, and introducing fixed penalties for common fire hazards, such as obstruction of fire escape routes, in a bid to streamline enforcement and enhance deterrence.
In the coming year, Yenug said the department will review the Pilot Scheme on the Internet of Things fire detection system, which has been installed in 10 selected buildings of six stories or less across the territory. The department will also assess the feasibility of extending the system to taller buildings.
The FSD will also monitor implementation of the pilot program of the defaulted works mechanism, which allows enforcement authorities to conduct fire safety improvement works on behalf of owners of 10 target buildings. The defaulted works for the first building are expected to be completed by mid-2026.
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In reviewing last year’s work, Yeung said the department handled 35,972 fire calls in 2025, a 4.9 percent decrease from the previous year, mainly attributed to a drop in false alarms, but the number of fires that damaged buildings rose 25 to 2,000.
Yeung said the fatal blaze at Wang Fuk Court in November claimed 168 lives, including that of fireman Ho Wai-ho. The FSD expressed its heartfelt gratitude to all parties involved and thanked the support it received from all sectors of the community during the disaster, Yeung added.
Following the Tai Po fire, the department has established a dedicated Inspection Team, formed a round-the-clock Quick Response Team, enhanced alerts to residents during major fire safety system failures, and strengthened publicity, education, and training for owners’ corporations and property management companies.
The department has also intensified fire safety inspections, including checks on fire safety facilities in over 900 of 1,500 buildings built before 1987, and in 461 buildings undergoing major repairs.
Some fire safety facilities, including fire bells, were found to be malfunctioning to varying degrees and have been ordered to be repaired, Yeung said.
The department made over 447,000 fire safety inspections throughout the year, issuing nearly 17,100 fire hazard abatement notices and initiating about 3,460 prosecutions, according to the FSD.
The independent committee set up to probe the Wang Fuk Court fire will hold its first hearing next month. Yeung said the FSD has submitted documents to assist the investigation.
The department is willing to send colleagues at any level to attend the hearing as long as they are needed to explain the firefighting and rescue operations as well as fire safety inspections, in a bid to help the committee “find the truth”, Yeung said.
