Hong Kong’s Horrific Fire at Homantin Estate Results in Heavy Casualties, with the government stating on November 28 that they believe the initial cause was a fire at the lower-level scaffolding that spread, emphasizing that the bamboo scaffolding used in the building had flame-retardant properties. The government is considering promoting the replacement of bamboo scaffolding with metal ones. The controversy arises regarding who should be held accountable for the scaffolding and bamboo structures. Public opinion holds that the fire was a man-made disaster, primarily caused by the CCP’s efforts to mainlandize Hong Kong.
On the afternoon of November 28, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security, John Tang, held a press conference announcing that the fire that broke out on the 26th had resulted in 128 confirmed deaths, with around 200 individuals still unaccounted for.
Tang stated that the bamboo scaffolding in the building had flame-retardant properties based on initial inspections. The fire is believed to have started at the lower-level scaffolding, spreading to other parts before igniting the foam boards on the windows and doors. The burning bamboo scaffolding falling down caused fires on other floors, rapidly spreading.
However, the explanation provided does not clarify the relationship between the supposedly flame-retardant “bamboo scaffolding used in the building” and the “lower-level scaffolding” where the fire started.
During the fire at Homantin Estate, all buildings were surrounded by scaffolding due to maintenance work. According to previous on-site videos, both the lower and upper levels of the burning building were covered with the same green scaffolding, showing no apparent distinctions.
Residents of Homantin Estate had previously reported safety issues with the scaffolding to the Labour Department last year. The department stated that they had conducted 16 inspections of maintenance works over the past year and had issued written warnings to remind contractors to take appropriate fire safety measures.
Commentator Li Lin Yi expressed to Epoch Times yesterday that the government’s hasty exclusion of scaffolding quality issues before official investigation results are released could easily lead to skepticism.
It is noteworthy that mainland media outlet The Paper extensively reported on the issue, highlighting “Hong Kong Notification: Inspection at Homantin Estate did not Find Combustible Conditions” from a previous on-site sampling examination. Caixin reported on “Multiple Mainland Cities Issuing ‘Fire Prevention Orders’, Emphasizing the Prohibition of Bamboo and Wooden Scaffolding.”
The Hong Kong government announced on the 27th that the Development Bureau had met with industry representatives to discuss the roadmap for introducing metal scaffolding to replace bamboo scaffolding. However, many in society believe that the government is solely blaming bamboo scaffolding for the incident, while the main cause of the fire was the flammable nature of the scaffolding material, leading to its rapid spread. The Development Bureau countered on the 28th, stating that such comments misinterpreted the government’s position.
The devastating fire at Homantin Estate in Tai Po has sparked global discussions online, with some attributing the out-of-control fire to Hong Kong’s traditional bamboo scaffolding. However, many voices argue that bamboo scaffolding was not the main cause of the fire. Former Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, Lam Chiu Ying, pointed out on social media that the flammable scaffolding and foam boards were the main culprits of the fire, questioning why bamboo, relatively less flammable, was the target of blame.
Some Hong Kong netizens asked, “Were the construction workers from mainland China?” “Where was the safety net manufactured?”
On November 26, a Hong Kong netizen named “Scott|Monsterblockhk” posted on X platform, stating, “As a Hong Kong native, I can say that tonight’s fire is definitely a man-made disaster.”
He recounted that at around 2:51 pm on the 26th, during maintenance work on the exterior wall of Homantin Estate’s Hin Cheung House, a fire broke out on the exterior scaffolding. Videos captured by netizens showed the initial small fire, which rapidly spread upwards ten minutes later.
The netizen mentioned, “The protective net did not use the fire-resistant net required by the latest government standards, but instead used regular flame-retardant material… The so-called flame-retardant material did not work as intended. Instead, the scaffolding was sturdier than the protective net, proving that the problem lay in ‘not using a fire-resistant net’.”
Overseas platform “News Investigation” posted, “The main reason for the Hong Kong fire is not the bamboo scaffold, but the scaffolding protective net certified by a laboratory in Binzhou, Shandong, China. Originally designed as a fire-resistant material, it was certified as a flammable nylon net. The Chinese authorities are shifting blame by exaggerating the flammability of bamboo scaffolding!”
The post included several related documents and quoted Hong Kong netizens on social media pointing out that “the main reason for the building fire is not the bamboo scaffolding, which has been used in Hong Kong for over a hundred years without incident. The scaffolding protective net for this fire, made of nylon, failed to meet the fire-resistant certification due to cost-cutting by the construction contractor.”
However, at present, the relevant documents have not been verified, and the Hong Kong government has not responded to the widespread questioning on this topic that has been circulating online for days.
Former Beijing lawyer and Chairman of the Alliance Canada, Lai Jianping, told Epoch Times, “In the case of this Hong Kong fire, I feel it is three parts natural disaster and seven parts man-made disaster. After the fire broke out, why wasn’t it discovered and reported promptly? What about the response time from the authorities? Was the firefighting equipment and facilities sufficient? These are entirely human factors.”
Lai believes that the most crucial factors are the construction materials and management. Since being completely taken over by the CCP, Hong Kong has become a direct-controlled city of China. Not only has it been politically assimilated with mainland China in terms of legal systems, but also in terms of ideologies and practices such as deceit, fraud, cutting corners, kickbacks, and shoddy workmanship.
Canadian Chinese writer Sheng Xue also stated that after the implementation of the national security law by the CCP in Hong Kong, Beijing not only controls the political sphere but is also reshaping Hong Kong’s administrative and legal framework in various ways. At the same time, mainland Chinese companies have significantly entered Hong Kong’s public works system, making it easier for them to win large engineering contracts. This trend naturally results in a mainland-style approach to construction quality.
Shoddy construction projects are commonplace in mainland China, leading to the frequent collapse of bridges and buildings due to cutting corners and using substandard materials. Mainland China’s substandard construction practices have also spread overseas, with the collapse of the National Audit Office building in progress in Bangkok due to an earthquake in Myanmar, resulting in at least 92 deaths.
Currently, mainland engineering standards are being introduced in Hong Kong. In July 2025, the Hong Kong Northern Link project adopted mainland standards for the first time to shorten the construction period. The Hong Kong government is also in the process of formulating and updating the “Hong Kong Railway Standards,” which will be gradually extended to other railway projects. However, this move has raised doubts.
Therefore, the recent rare fire in Hong Kong, catching everyone by surprise, after the infiltration of the CCP’s system into the city, is a disaster waiting to happen.