2025年11月26日下午，香港新界大埔宏福苑多棟住宅樓發生嚴重火災，火勢被定為五級，截至11月28日清晨，已有94人死亡，其中包括一名在執勤中殉職的消防員，另有76人受傷，其中11名為消防員。這場災難迅速引起社會廣泛關注，也引發對香港高層住宅消防安全的反思。

在滅火與救援方面，11月28日凌晨，消防處宣布火勢已基本被控制，剩餘四個單位仍需噴水降溫，預計上午九時前可完成宏福苑七棟大樓的破門搜索工作。整個救援行動中，共調配117台救護車，出動超過1200名消防及救護人員，成功救出55人。救援行動的規模與速度反映了當地政府在面對突發重大災難時的應急能力。

針對災後居民的安置與支援，政府開放九個臨時庇護中心，安置超過500名受災居民，並統籌約1800個過渡性住房單位，以保障居民基本生活。為支援災民，政府成立「大埔宏福苑援助基金」，撥款3億港元，每戶發放1萬港元應急補助金，同時動員超過250名醫生及社工團隊，提供醫療、心理及經濟支援，盡力幫助受災家庭渡過難關。

在調查與善後方面，警方已拘捕三名涉事工程公司負責人，涉嫌誤殺，並對外牆施工中違規使用易燃材料的情況展開調查。同時，全港範圍內開始巡查外牆維修樓宇，推動以金屬棚架替代傳統竹棚架，以減少火災風險。

面對災難的嚴重影響，特區政府亦向中央港澳辦申請內地物資援助，包括無人機、醫療耗材等，以加強救援與後續處理能力。社會層面上，原定的政府慶祝活動被取消或延期，資源全部集中於善後工作。這起火災事件暴露出高層住宅外牆材料易燃、消防設施維護不足等問題，引發社會對高層建築消防安全的廣泛關注，也促使相關部門加強建築防火與應急管理措施，防範類似悲劇再次發生。

On the afternoon of November 26, 2025, a major fire broke out in multiple residential buildings at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. The fire was classified as level five, and by the early morning of November 28, it had claimed 94 lives, including a firefighter who died in the line of duty, while 76 others were injured, among them 11 firefighters. The disaster quickly drew widespread public attention and sparked serious concerns about fire safety in Hong Kong’s high-rise residential buildings.

Regarding firefighting and rescue efforts, the Hong Kong Fire Services Department announced in the early hours of November 28 that the fire had been largely brought under control, with four remaining units still needing water cooling. It was expected that the door-to-door search of all seven buildings in Wang Fuk Court would be completed before 9 a.m. In total, 117 ambulances and over 1,200 fire and rescue personnel were deployed, successfully rescuing 55 people. The scale and speed of the operation reflected the local government’s emergency response capabilities in handling major sudden disasters.

For post-disaster support and housing, the government opened nine temporary shelters to accommodate more than 500 residents and coordinated approximately 1,800 transitional housing units to ensure basic living conditions. To assist victims, the “Tai Po Wang Fuk Court Relief Fund” was established with HKD 300 million allocated, providing each household with an emergency grant of HKD 10,000. Additionally, over 250 doctors and social workers were mobilized to provide medical, psychological, and financial assistance, aiming to help affected families recover from the disaster.

In terms of investigation and aftermath management, the police arrested three responsible executives from the construction company involved, on suspicion of manslaughter, and launched an investigation into the use of flammable materials on the building’s exterior walls. Citywide inspections of external wall maintenance works were also conducted, with a push to replace traditional bamboo scaffolding with metal scaffolding to reduce fire risks.

In response to the severity of the disaster, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government requested assistance from the Central Government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, including drones and medical supplies, to strengthen rescue and post-disaster handling capabilities. At the societal level, planned government celebrations were canceled or postponed, with all resources focused on recovery efforts. The fire exposed the hazards of combustible exterior wall materials and inadequate maintenance of fire safety equipment, prompting widespread concern over high-rise building safety and urging authorities to reinforce fire prevention and emergency management measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.