A large fire in Hong Kong’s Yau Ma Tei district burned for over 14 hours before being largely extinguished on October 15, 2024. The blaze, which broke out in a cargo handling area, caused significant damage to shipping containers and scaffolding.
The fire was first reported around 5:05 p.m. On October 14th, involving cardboard, plastic, and scrap metal. It quickly spread, and by 6:00 p.m., the fire department upgraded the incident to a three-alarm fire, deploying additional resources including fireboats. According to reports, the fire also extended to a barge.
Firefighters struggled to contain the flames, with the fire area reaching approximately 20 meters by 20 meters and involving around 10 containers stacked up to three stories high. Access to the fire was complicated by the risk of collapsing containers, requiring the use of a fire-fighting robot. Crews also had to source water from fire hydrants more than 400 meters away and utilize fireboats to pump seawater.
The fire was brought under control by 3:11 a.m. On October 15th and was largely extinguished by 7:17 a.m. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, with early indications suggesting a discarded cigarette butt may be to blame. on.cc reports that firefighters focused on cooling the containers with water and carefully opening them to extinguish any remaining flames.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by emergency responders in densely populated urban areas with complex infrastructure.
Another fire occurred in Yau Ma Tei on October 11th, 2024, at a store on Temple Street, leading to the evacuation of over 80 residents from an adjacent youth hostel.
HK01 reports that the initial Yau Ma Tei fire on October 14th was accompanied by explosions.
