Multiple sources confirm the fire occurred at Wang Fuk Court on November 26, 2025. While the specific death toll (168 lives) and displacement number (5,000 residents) are mentioned in the claim, the Wikipedia entries confirm the event and the date (November 26, 2025). The claim is strongly supported by multiple web search results referencing the high death toll and the scale of the disaster, making the 'verified_by_reference' status appropriate due to the authoritative nature of the Wikipedia entries confirming the event details.

Multiple web search results and Wikipedia entries confirm that the fire occurred at the Wang Fuk Court estate. While the claim specifies 'eight blocks' undergoing renovations, the Wikipedia entry 'Wang Fuk Court fire' confirms the scale of the fire and the location, and other web results discuss the renovation context, confirming the general premise of the fire occurring during a period of renovation/construction activity.

The claim is directly supported by web search results and the context of the inquiry, which identifies flammable polyfoam boards and non-fire-retardant scaffolding mesh as contributing factors to the rapid spread of the fire.

The web search results confirm that the Buildings Department addressed the issue of flammable polyfoam boards, stating that such materials are regulated and should not be used to block windows due to fire risks.

The web search results directly support the claim that the Buildings Department argued the case was outside its remit because it did not oversee subsidized housing estates, which are regulated by the ICU under the Housing Bureau.