香港火灾造成至少 146 人死亡，引发对竹棚架在失事中作用的质疑。尽管中国大陆已普遍改用金属架，香港仍依赖数千名竹棚工以更轻、更便宜、可切割的竹材搭建脚手架。早期报道怀疑竹材加速火势蔓延，但政府随后指出建筑外窗上的保丽龙板可能是火势迅速扩散的主要原因，调查仍在进行。行政长官李家超宣布将停止竹棚使用，加速原有淘汰计划，引起学者与从业者强调竹材可燃但不持续燃烧，并非主因。

竹棚争议牵涉身份认同。竹棚技术源自中国大陆，1911 年已有工会在港成立，长期被视为香港日常且独特的非物质文化遗产。其普及也因实用性强：相较由标准化金属部件组成的金属架，竹材更灵活，能切割调整以适应仅相距数英寸的狭窄空间，符合高密度城市环境需求。同时，若改为金属棚架，相关工作可能转移至主要来自大陆的工人，冲击本地技工生计。

舆论呈现情绪分化。部分大陆社交媒体批评香港人对竹棚的坚持是一种衰落殖民心态，或仅为本地建筑业维护自身利益。香港方面则出现愤怒情绪，政府已逮捕一名发起请愿要求火灾善后行动的男子。整体趋势显示竹棚议题已从安全质疑延伸到文化、经济与政治层面的多重冲突。

The Hong Kong fire that killed at least 146 people triggered scrutiny of whether bamboo scaffolding contributed to the disaster. Although mainland China largely uses metal frames, Hong Kong still depends on thousands of bamboo scaffolders using lighter, cheaper, and customizable poles. Early reports questioned bamboo’s role, but the government later identified styrofoam window boards as the likely driver of rapid fire spread, with investigations ongoing. Chief Executive John Lee announced plans to halt bamboo use, accelerating a prior phase-out, prompting experts to argue bamboo burns but does not sustain flames and is not the primary cause.

The debate intersects with identity. Bamboo scaffolding originated in mainland China, but a Hong Kong union existed by 1911, and the craft is viewed as daily, distinctive intangible heritage. Its appeal is also practical: unlike standardized metal parts, bamboo can be cut and fitted into spaces often only inches apart in a dense city. A shift to metal could move jobs to mainland workers, threatening local livelihoods.

Public sentiment is polarized. Some mainland social-media users dismiss Hong Kong’s attachment as a fading colonial mindset or industry self-interest. Local tensions rose enough that authorities arrested a man who started a petition demanding post-fire action. Overall trends show the scaffolding issue expanding from safety concerns into cultural, economic, and political conflict.