A sudden, level five fire turned an ordinary Sunday at Tai Po Hong Fok Court into a life-and-death ordeal. A survivor later posted on Facebook, detailing his harrowing experience while trapped in the flames. In addition to rescuing a neighboring couple, he also expressed a profound realization that, in the face of impermanence, nothing can be taken with us—deeply moving many netizens.
The netizen, named Ah Will, posted in the "Tai Po TAI PO" Facebook group, saying that on the day of the incident, he was resting at home when he received a call from his wife informing him of the fire, prompting him to prepare to escape immediately. However, as soon as he opened his door, everything went dark; thick smoke instantly swallowed him up.
He tried using his phone’s flashlight to no avail, and, struggling to breathe, was forced to retreat back inside his apartment.
Upon learning that the building’s lobby had already become engulfed in flames, he realized that escape was hopeless, and could only wait for rescue, trapped in this purgatory that used to be "home." Just then, he heard his neighbors calling for help from the hallway. Even though the outside environment was awful, he picked up a wet towel and, without hesitation, charged into the thick smoke.
In less than ten seconds, his eyes kept tearing, and his throat burned. Feeling along the wall, he shouted, “Come over quickly!” and finally managed to lead a couple back to his place, giving him a harrowingly real understanding of the terror of being surrounded by smoke.
He not only provided them water and towels but also comforted his shocked neighbors: “Don’t worry, we won’t die!”
While the three were trapped in the apartment for hours, Ah Will looked out the window as burning debris drifted down like “black snowflakes,” feeling utterly powerless.
During this time, he received a call from his mother, who was abroad. To keep his family from worrying, he forced back tears and lied: "Mom, don't worry, the firefighters are rescuing me. I'm fine. I can't talk now, I have to pack up and escape!"
It wasn’t until 6 pm that the fire department’s ladder truck arrived at the scene. Ah Will let the elderly neighbors be rescued first. Alone in the apartment, he looked around at his treasured models, superalloys, luxury goods, and the toys his wife and child loved—but he realized he couldn’t take any of it.
In the end, he quietly said goodbye to this "home," feeling that the fire had used the most brutal way to make him understand that in the face of uncertainty, humans are never really masters—just temporary and fragile inhabitants. This left many netizens deeply moved and reflective.