Over 160 Dead…Experts Explain Why Hong Kong’s High-Rise Apartment Fire “Wouldn’t Happen in Japan

The fire was supposed to be contained in the said household…

The footage showed that the fire was spreading upwards at an unbelievable rate, and the way it was burning looked like the flames from the worst spread of a wooden house fire.”

Takao Sakaguchi, former chief of the Azabu Fire Department and director of the Citizen’s Disaster Prevention Research Institute, sighs about such a scene: “The green netting covering the high-rise apartment building was burning down, while large flames were running up the exterior walls. ……

The fire that broke out in the afternoon of November 26 this year in the Hong Fook Garden high-rise condominium complex in Hong Kong spread to seven of the eight condominium buildings in the complex, killing 161 people (as of December 26).

Flammable materials were used as nets to cover the exterior walls of the condominiums, which were under renovation. The scaffolding was also made of combustible bamboo.

The fire spread quickly to the upper floors because of the Styrofoam covering the exterior windows. The heat from the Styrofoam also damaged window panes and other glass, which I believe caused the fire to spread indoors,” says Sakaguchi.

says Mr. Sakaguchi. Many high-rise condominiums have been built in Japan. Are there any similar fire risks? Mr. Sakaguchi asserted that a fire such as the one that occurred at Hongfukuen is unlikely.

First of all, in Japan, flammable scaffolding is not used for exterior wall construction. Protective nets must also be fire-retardant. There is also no such thing as attaching Styrofoam or other materials to protect windows. In other words, fire cannot enter the interior from the outside. In order to prevent the spread of fire, fireproof walls and floors are used in Japanese condominiums, so that if a fire breaks out, it can be contained within the household concerned.

It seems that sprinklers were not installed in Hong Fook Yuan, but in Japan, sprinklers are basically required to be installed on floors above the 11th floor (or even without, if an equivalent level of safety is recognized). If there are sprinklers, they are activated when a certain temperature is reached and water is automatically sprayed.

At the Kofukuen, residents noted that the fire alarm did not work. It is possible that it was turned off in the course of renovation work.

The residents were unable to evacuate because the fire was not detected, causing serious damage to the building. In Japan, the Fire Defense Law requires the installation of fire alarms, sprinklers, and other firefighting equipment, and even in cases such as this, where such equipment is not functioning during construction, a firefighting plan must be prepared and submitted for alternative measures. It’s not such a loose end.”

It was difficult to even approach the building.

In Hong Fook Yuan, the residents were unable to evacuate because the fire was detected too late and smoke filled the evacuation stairway (the so-called emergency stairway), which was the only evacuation route available.

In Japan, smoke and fire prevention measures are taken at evacuation stairways in order to secure evacuation routes. In Japan, smoke- and fire-preventive measures are taken at evacuation staircases to secure evacuation routes. In order to prevent the inflow of smoke when doors are opened and closed when people enter and exit the building, an attached room must be provided in front of the evacuation stairway, which must also have a smoke exhaust function.

Evacuation routes are designed to allow “two-way evacuation” (evacuation by different methods). In Japan, in addition to the strictly regulated evacuation stairs, most condominiums have verandas, where you can break the separating board to get to the next household. Repeating this will keep you far away from the fire. And if you can get to where the evacuation hatch is installed, you can use the evacuation ladder to get down to the floor below, to ground level.”

Extinguishing a fire on a high-rise floor is extremely difficult. Water spraying from the ground is limited to the third floor. Firefighting with a ladder truck is also limited to the 10th floor. At Kohfukuen, the fire spread to seven buildings, and even the higher floors were on fire. Firefighters could not get close to the buildings because of the burning bamboo and other materials falling from above, and firefighters could not extinguish the fire from the ground.

Firefighters were unable to carry hoses up the stairs to extinguish the fire on the upper floors because of the smoke and heat in the stairwells.

In Japan, the Fire Service Law requires the installation of a “connecting water pipe” in buildings with seven or more floors. There is a water pipe near the entrance of each building, and pipes run from there to each floor.

On floors 10 and below, firefighters can take the hoses up the stairs, which are safer, and connect them to the water outlets on floors 3 and above to extinguish the fire.

In a high-rise condominium in Japan, “the tragedy of Hong Fook Yuen could never happen,” says Sakaguchi, “and if it did, it would be at the level of terrorism or an arsonist spraying gasoline.

I believe the safety of Japanese condominiums ranks among the highest in the world. But no matter how much safety equipment you have, if the people using the building do not understand it, it cannot be used. It is the same as not functioning. There is a risk of losing a life because of it. Even if it doesn’t end up like the “Kohfukuen,” fires that should have been contained on each floor without spreading can still spread to other floors,” says Sakaguchi.

Mr. Sakaguchi asks the following questions.

Do you know how safe the evacuation stairways are?　To prevent smoke from entering the building, the doors to the evacuation stairs should not be left open!　Do you know about “2-way evacuation?　Do you have at least one fire extinguisher in your house?　Do you know how to use it?
If the fire has not spread to the ceiling, do not leave the fire unattended and try to extinguish it yourself!　As a prerequisite, don’t use the elevator!

The Fire Service Law requires fire extinguishing equipment inspections twice a year and disaster drills once a year, but unfortunately, those who participate in the drills are usually the same members, and many will not attend. But such opportunities are extremely important.”

The functions that are provided to protect life do not protect us. It is whether or not you understand and use them properly that can make the difference between life and death.