Hong Kong aims to install smart fire alarms in 3,600 old buildings

Hong Kong authorities have launched a pilot scheme to install a new smart fire alarm system that can detect and report a blaze in minutes, with a target to install it in 3,600 old buildings that have yet to be fitted with adequate fire fighting facilities.

The Fire Services Department said on Friday it started installing a fire detection system that utilises Internet of Things technology in 10 buildings up to six storeys tall across 10 districts, with a three-month trial on the selected structures to commence next year.

“When developing this system, we have conducted extensive scientific reasoning, with computer models on a theoretical level and real fire trials to further prove its effectiveness,” said Wong Yuk-ping, deputy chief fire officer for building improvement.

The department said it aimed to roll out the installations to 3,600 targeted old buildings that were six storeys or under and had not been fitted with traditional fire safety systems from the second quarter of 2026, subject to feedback and results of the three-month trial.

It added the new system would be able to reduce installation costs and time for old buildings below six storeys, as it would take two weeks to be fitted under an approximate cost of HK$200,000 (US$25,730).

According to Wong, traditional fire alarm systems with fire hose reels for this type of building would take around five to six years to be fully installed, costing around HK$600,000.

Traditional systems also relied on residents to trigger alarms after discovering signs of a fire themselves, whereas the new smart fire detection system was equipped with detectors that could issue a warning signal upon detecting smoke or carbon monoxide.