Deputy fire chief says dry air and strong wind fanned skyscraper fire

Deputy chief fire officer Keung Sai-ming said on Friday that dry air and strong wind have made it more difficult for firefighters to douse the blaze that broke out last night at the 48-story luxury Kimpton Hong Kong hotel under construction in Tsim Sha Tsui.

He also said construction materials inside the building made it hard for firefighters to advance.

Read more: Inferno tears through under-construction luxury hotel in TST

Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze at around 8.30am this morning, while 170 people were evacuated due to the fire.

Addressing the media this morning, Keung said when firefighters responded to the scene, the fire had occurred on multiple floors of the construction site and is spreading both upwards and downwards to other levels.

He noted that the building under construction has no fire service installation in commission, except for some temporary ducting for them to convey water.

Keung also said because of the strong wind, the fire spread quickly and fiery debris was blown to five nearby buildings.

“Furniture on two balconies caught fire, but because firefighters had anticipated such things, the small fires were quickly extinguished,” he said.

Keung added that firefighters were still using jets to try to cool down the skyscraper and a team would be checking the building to see if its outer walls and remaining scaffolding are structurally sound.
 

+2