Around 1640 hours on 20 November 1996, electric arc welding/cutting works were carried out inside a lift shaft on 15/F. The shower of red-hot sparks and molten droplets from the wroks fell through the lift shafts and ignited some construction materials accumulated within a hoarding at the 2/F landing. Although the fire started during office hours and the building was full of office workers, customers and visitors, nobody seemed to be aware of the developing fire. The lift shaft acted like a chimney and the heat generated from the fire quickly spread to the floors on the top level.
A fire call was finally raised. Firemen arrived at scene 3 minutes after receipt of the call. At that time, the fire was already fully developed and victims were climbing out of the windows on higher floors shouting for help. Because of the magnitude of the fire. it was upgraded to No.3 Alarm at 1659, No.4 Alarm at 1717 and finally No.5 Alarm at 1915 on 20 November 1996. The fire was under-controlled at 1130 on the following day and was extinguished on that afternoon.
85 fire appliances and 39 ambulances attended the operation with some 300 Fire Services personnel taking part in the operation. The fire claimed 40 lives including a Senior Firemen and 81 were injured including 14 fire-fighters.
一九九六年十一月的一個下午，商戶及訪客均忙碌地穿梭於彌敦道二百三十三至二百三十九號一幢十六層高舊式商業大廈之中。與此同時，大廈內正進行各項大規模裝修工程，包括更換大廈升降機，其中兩部升降機和所有升降機門已經拆掉。 工人亦於升降機槽內搭起竹棚。大廈內的人對於切割和燒焊所產生的煙及燃燒氣味，已經習以為常，故此亦降低了他們對火警的警覺性。更甚的是，裝修工人為了防止火警鐘鳴響，便用塑膠袋包著二字樓的煙霧探測器。一九九六年十一月二十日下午四時四十分左右，大廈十五字樓升降機有燒焊切割工程進行。大量火花如雨般散落到二樓，並燃點起積聚於二字樓圍板內的建築物料。雖然火警發生於上班時間，而大廈內亦滿是上班的人，顧客和訪客，但似乎沒有人留意到有火警發生。 升降機槽仿如煙筒一般，向上升的熱氣令火勢在大廈高層迅速蔓延。
後來終於有人發出火警召喚，消防人員於接報後三分鐘到場。這時，大火已蔓延至樓上各層，同時亦有人瓟出窗外呼喊求救。由於火勢猛烈，火警於下午四時五十九分升為三級，並於下午五時十七分升為四級，最終於下午七時十五分升為五級。大火於翌日上午十一時三十分受到控制，並於下午救熄。
消防處出動八十五輛消防車及三十九輛救護車，動員超過三百名消防人員參加這次救援行動。火警導致四十人死亡（包括一名消防隊目），八十一人受傷送院（包括十四名消防人員）。
*The article & photos converted from "A TRIBUTE TO THE MILLENNIUM - FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT"
*本文及圖片來自"消防處 - 千禧年紀念特刊"