FSD responds to media enquiries on No. 4 alarm fire in Tsim Sha Tsui
********************************************************************
In accordance with the construction progress of construction sites, FSD officers will conduct inspections and provide appropriate advice based on section 7(c) of the Fire Services Ordinance, to ensure that responsible persons comply with the requirements specified in the FSD Circular Letter No. 2/2008 "Fire Protection Measures in Construction Sites", and that the facilities are in efficient working order at all times. When the facilities are damaged or require a temporary shutdown or alteration, the responsible persons should notify the local fire station as soon as possible and put in place appropriate alternative measures.
The Circular Letter stipulates that construction sites are required to provide water relaying facilities to facilitate the FSD to speedily fight fires that have broken out in high-rise buildings. If the requirements are not met properly, the department will issue a fire hazard abatement notice to the responsible persons in accordance with Section 3 of the Fire Services (Fire Hazard Abatement) Regulation (the Regulation) to require them to abate the fire hazard within a specified time. Any non-compliance may lead to prosecution.
According to the Circular Letter, a construction site should provide water relaying facilities depending on the height of the building under construction, which requires water relaying facilities if it is 30 metres or above. If the design height of the building is between 30m and 80m, the contractor should install a closed-circuit type water relaying system, or put in place fire pumps on the appropriate floors. If the design height of the building exceeds 80m, the contractor should install a closed-circuit type water relaying system to ensure the safety of the construction site.
During a firefighting operation, the source of water supply for firefighting normally comes from fire hydrants on the street. At the mentioned fire incident, the FSD personnel found that the fire pump on the ground floor of the construction site did not function properly. The department has already issued a fire hazard abatement notice to the contractor of the construction site according to the Regulation.
The FSD had last inspected the mentioned construction site in August 2022. During the inspection, the department's officers conducted tests on the water relaying facilities to ensure that they were functioning properly. They also provided fire safety advice to the responsible person of the construction site. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation by the FSD's Fire Investigation Group, evidence at this stage indicates that the cause of the fire was not suspicious.
Ends/Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Issued at HKT 18:10
Issued at HKT 18:10
NNNN