Reflections on the Tai Po Fire in Hong Kong | Breaking the Impasse: With High-Rise Firefighting Drones Still Lacking, We Are Already Moving Forward

The article points out that, within the grand vision of the low-altitude economy, drones were expected to serve as powerful tools for overcoming altitude constraints and extinguishing high-rise fire hotspots. Yet, in this heartbreaking blaze, they were regrettably absent—behind this lies… Technology gap and Longer market validation period The core contradiction it presents is this: on the one hand, truly capable technologies and drone products that meet the primary operational requirements for high-rise firefighting are exceedingly rare, while societal demand for fire‑rescue operations in high‑rise buildings remains extremely urgent; on the other hand, bringing firefighting drones to market requires both broad industry consensus on the value of cutting‑edge technology and a necessary market‑validation period to demonstrate their reliability and cost‑effectiveness.

First, starting with the issue of technological bottlenecks, at a press conference held by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government on November 28, Yeung Yan-kin, Director of the Fire Services Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government In response to netizens’ question about why drones were not used for firefighting, he explained, “When deploying such drones, one must take into account that the diameter of the fire‑suppression hose they can carry is far smaller than that of the hoses used by conventional fire trucks or firefighters. This means the volume of water they can deliver is relatively limited, making them an ineffective solution when multiple structures are ablaze simultaneously.” In other words, A major obstacle preventing the deployment of firefighting drones in this blaze is their insufficient payload capacity to support the weight of the water hoses required for effective fire suppression. 。

As Li Ye, Chairman of Weihang Technology, noted in the interview, with regard to fire‑extinguishing agent types, Water remains the primary extinguishing agent for fires in urban high-rise buildings. . For Class A fires, the core extinguishing principle is The cooling effect of water heating and evaporating . Fire suppression requires a continuous, substantial supply of liquid, namely In the vertical direction, the drone must support the weight of an equivalent water hose and cable, necessitating a substantial payload capacity; meanwhile, in the horizontal direction, it must withstand the reaction force generated by high‑flow, high‑pressure water jets, which in turn demands a higher rated takeoff weight. Meanwhile, because firefighting operations require sustained high‑flow water spraying over extended periods, tethered power and fluid supply must be integrated with fire trucks. However, national standards for fire truck dimensions impose strict limits, necessitating a compact drone design. Meeting these demanding performance requirements inevitably entails overcoming significant technical challenges. Therefore, Ducted-fan propulsion technology, with its high rotor-disc loading, represents an ideal solution; for a given unit area, the thrust generated by a ducted fan is approximately ten times that of a conventional rotor. 。

Currently, the primary bottleneck in the mismatch between market supply and demand lies in the fact that most high‑altitude firefighting drones on the market are rotary‑wing UAVs. Due to the payload limitations inherent in rotor technology, these drones are primarily employed for… Foam fire extinguishing agent ， Highly susceptible to wind and prone to scattering. ; its liquid flow rate is typically Less than 3 L/s Even when spraying foam, the hose diameter is only 25 or 40 millimeters; in the face of a major fire, The extinguishing agent may evaporate before it even reaches the fire, thereby losing its ability to form a foam layer that isolates the combustible material from air. ; Spray distance is generally Less than 15–20 meters , susceptible to high temperatures, explosions, and crosswinds at the fire scene, The actual effective spray range has been further reduced. . This makes it especially so when facing a major fire, The safe operating distance required for the aircraft must exceed its effective spray range. However, very little extinguishing agent actually reaches the fire scene. In real-world drills, existing rotary-wing drones can be observed delivering only a small amount of foam to the exterior of the burning structure, making it difficult to penetrate deep into the fire and achieve effective suppression.

Furthermore, viewed across the entire product‑to‑market process, a new type of firefighting equipment—from R&D and testing to market promotion and finally to production and delivery—requires substantial industry‑wide recognition of its technical value and a lengthy decision‑making cycle, along with extensive validation efforts. This is one of the reasons why an effective, dedicated firefighting drone was absent from this particular incident. The article also notes that such emergencies will accelerate the formulation of relevant policies and the maturation of drone‑application frameworks, laying the groundwork for the large‑scale deployment of firefighting drones and thereby fostering the demonstration and wider adoption of “drones plus firefighting.”

During the interview, Li also told reporters that the Wenhang team has developed… The world’s first high-altitude tethered main battle firefighting drone system with a ducted fan, “Aoqin” It can withstand the reaction forces generated by heavy, water‑filled hoses, cables, and high‑pressure, high‑flow water jets. Coupled with tethered power and fluid supply from a fire truck, it enables prolonged, continuous high‑flow spraying, perfectly meeting the demands of main‑battle firefighting. In terms of key performance metrics, the Aoqin delivers an outstanding sustained liquid flow rate of 20–30 L/s, achieving a reach of up to 100 meters in height with an effective spray distance of 45 meters. Meanwhile, its compact dimensions allow it to arrive on scene alongside the first wave of firefighters within 15 minutes; once at the designated location, deployment takes less than three minutes. With a lifting speed of no less than 2 m/s, it can ascend to a height of 100 meters in under one minute—representing a qualitative leap in efficiency compared to conventional 100‑meter‑class aerial ladder trucks, which typically require several hours to arrive and tens of minutes to deploy.

(A real-world water‑dropping operation scene of the ducted-fan, combat‑oriented firefighting drone “Aoqin” at a certain location)

In response to the recent fire in Hong Kong, Weihang has also put forward his own reflections and strategic proposals.

Reviewing the progression of the Hongfuyuan fire: At 2:51 p.m. on November 26, scaffolding on the exterior wall at the base of Hongchang Pavilion caught fire. Within six minutes, the blaze had spread to the fourth floor, and within fifteen minutes it had engulfed the adjacent Hongtai Pavilion and Hongxin Pavilion. In other words, had primary firefighting equipment been deployed during those critical six minutes, the fire could have been brought under control, preventing significant damage. Accordingly, we propose three recommendations: broadly deploying a fleet of dedicated firefighting drones and implementing proactive measures to curb rapid fire spread.

First, deploy more main‑mission firefighting drone systems at fire stations. , it can achieve a rapid response within 15 minutes and ensure sufficient main combat equipment is available for coordinated operations; secondly, at high-risk sites such as construction and engineering projects, relevant parties are required to Contact the fire department or civilian firefighting and rescue teams in advance, and prepare the primary firefighting drone system on site. In response to sudden fires, firefighting operations can be launched within the critical first six minutes. For example, during large-scale events, fire trucks and ambulances are pre-positioned on site to handle emergencies. Thirdly, going a step further, it is possible to consider… Deploy fixed hangar‑type combat firefighting drones at designated locations in high‑density areas to enable distributed, localized deployment. , and can also promptly contain the spread of the fire.

The specific response procedure is as follows: Within 3 minutes of the fire breaking out , fixed‑hangar‑type combat‑firefighting drones or pre‑positioned main‑station firefighting drone systems take off to extinguish fires and contain incipient blazes; Within 15 minutes Recently, the fire station’s main firefighting drone system arrived, helping to prevent the fire from spreading to other buildings. 15 minutes later , Multiple systems from neighboring fire stations arrived one after another, enabling coordinated operations to swiftly suppress the blaze and bring it under control.

This in-depth report by mainstream media not only probes the critical technological shortcomings of drones in this incident but also offers an authoritative assessment of a cutting-edge industry that bears on public safety. The “gaps” highlighted by this fire serve as a clarion call, spurring all of us in the field to press forward with determination.

This devastating fire in Hong Kong has left us deeply saddened, and we extend our most profound and heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families. The integration of firefighting drones—from vision to reality—will by no means happen overnight. It demands continuous technological advancement, the gradual establishment of standards, and rigorous real-world testing. Weihang Technology stands ready to join forces with industry peers, driving forward with relentless innovation to address the challenges of our times. Weihang firmly believes that each candid analysis of technological bottlenecks serves as a cornerstone for advancing the sector. The next time the urban skyline is threatened, a dependable “aerial combat force” will surely be poised to respond promptly.