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Hong Kong panel urges phaseout of bamboo scaffolding after Tai Po fire
The committee’s closing submissions cite evidence that heat from the Nov. 2025 Wang Fuk Court blaze triggered pyrolysis in bamboo scaffolding, intensifying and pushing fire upward.
An independent committee investigating the cause of Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po fire has recommended that authorities gradually move away from traditional bamboo scaffolding and combustible plastic wraps toward metal replacements, as part of a wider set of safety and governance proposals.
Housing-related fire safety experts had previously debated the risks, with the committee noting that earlier testimony raised concerns that burning bamboo could release flammable pyrolysis gas, while metal scaffolding can also deform under extreme heat.
The panel released its recommendations in 627 pages of closing submissions on Friday, which followed hearings that began in March into the Wang Fuk Court fire.
The blaze last November killed 168 people and displaced about 5,000 residents, and the committee said its lawyers relied on evidence that heat from the fire caused pyrolysis in the bamboo scaffolding, contributing to the blaze’s intensity and upward spread.