Fire safety compliance inspections expand across Hong Kong
Iain Hoey
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Government outlines inspection and prosecution progress
More than 8,600 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHANs) have been issued in Hong Kong following inspections of older high-risk buildings, according to the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The fire safety inspections followed a 2024 fire at New Lucky House in Jordan that resulted in five deaths and 40 injuries.
The government reported that among around 1,000 composite buildings inspected, over 2,100 FHANs were issued to “three-nil buildings”, which have no owners’ corporation, no management company and no residents’ organisation.
District-level figures show that Sham Shui Po received the highest number of FHANs at 1,074.
A total of 324 successful prosecutions and convictions were secured across the 18 districts.
The most common cause of prosecution was smoke stop door irregularities, accounting for 259 cases.
Compliance rate and new inspection plans
As of the end of June 2025, the Fire Services Department (FSD) reported that over 90 percent of the 8,661 issued FHANs had been complied with.
In March 2025, the FSD created the Divisional Public Safety Team to increase district-level enforcement and community engagement across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.
The department stated that it will proactively inspect 1,800 old buildings over the next year.
These efforts are part of a broader strategy to raise compliance with the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance among composite and domestic buildings constructed on or before 1987.
According to the Government, approximately 14,000 buildings fall under this legislation, and around 11,430 have already been inspected.
Progress on defaulted works and pilot programme
Following the December 2024 amendment to the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance, authorities can now carry out fire safety works directly when building owners fail to do so.
The Government confirmed that 10 buildings have been selected under a pilot defaulted works scheme, with over half of them being “three-nil buildings”.
The authorities expect the first of these building upgrades to be completed by mid-2026.
Work consultancy and contractor contracts are planned to be awarded in the third quarter of 2025.
The Government stated that cost estimates will only be provided after assessments are completed by appointed consultants.
In addition to the pilot works, building-level compliance data is now published online to help inform prospective tenants and buyers.
Future expansion of improvement projects
The Government said it expects to extend defaulted works to between 20 and 60 buildings per year in the future.
It plans to assess the programme’s progress and determine the scale of future implementation based on sector capacity and inter-departmental coordination.
A long-term strategy will be developed to support owners facing genuine obstacles in upgrading their buildings.
The authorities confirmed that resourcing and contractor availability will shape how many additional properties can be included annually.
Efforts are ongoing to ensure the model remains sustainable and effective.
Internet of Things trial for early detection
The FSD is also piloting a fire detection system using Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to send alerts directly to emergency services.
Sensors may be installed in flats or communal areas to provide faster fire detection and improve response times.
Only a limited number of buildings per district are currently being invited to participate in the scheme.
The FSD said it is using criteria such as building age, number of storeys and whether a property is a “three-nil building” to decide which buildings are eligible.
The pilot is part of a broader strategy to explore technology use in fire detection, including 5G, AI and big data.
Fire safety compliance inspections expand across Hong Kong: Summary
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has reported that 8,661 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices have been issued following inspections of 1,000 high-risk buildings.
A total of 2,112 of these notices were issued to “three-nil buildings”.
There were 324 successful prosecutions, with most involving smoke stop door irregularities.
More than 90 percent of the issued notices have been complied with.
The Fire Services Department will inspect 1,800 additional buildings over the next year.
A Divisional Public Safety Team was established in March 2025 to enhance enforcement.
Ten buildings have been selected for a pilot scheme allowing the government to complete fire safety upgrades on behalf of non-compliant owners.
More than half of the pilot buildings are “three-nil buildings”.
The first works are expected to finish by mid-2026.
Contract procurement is scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.
Costs will be confirmed after consultant assessments.
Authorities expect to complete 20 to 60 defaulted works annually in future.
Building compliance status is now published online.
An Internet of Things detection system is being trialled in selected buildings.