3 arrested in Hong Kong as highrise fire leaves at least 36 dead and 279 missing.

lifelessly discharge engulfs Hong Kong highrise

monolithic fire burns at Hong Kong residential complex

Emergency officials provide update on massive Hong Kong blaze

Hong Kong highrise fire leaves several dead, others trapped inside

First responders deployed more than 140 fire trucks and more than 60 ambulances to the scene.

The dead included a 37-year-old firefighter, who has been identified as Ho Wai-ho.

Another firefighter received treatment for heat exhaustion, Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung said.

Lee said authorities are trying to understand what caused the fire.

“Police and the Fire Services Department have already set up a dedicated investigation team to investigate the cause of the fire,” Lee, the head of government for Hong Kong, said.

Officials said the fire started at the external scaffolding of one of the buildings, a 32-storey tower, and later spread to inside the building and then to nearby buildings, likely aided by windy conditions, according to The Associated Press.

Videos and images showing flames engulfing green mesh and bamboo scaffolding that connected and encased some of the buildings, which were under renovations, have prompted questions about Hong Kong's use of bamboo for construction materials.

In October, a fire in another Hong Kong building, the Chinachem Tower, appears to have spread because of similar scaffolding.

The special administration region of China is one of the last places to continue to use bamboo scaffolding — but said last spring it was reviewing the practice because of safety concerns.

According to the South China Morning Post, bamboo is used for scaffolding because it's lighter and cheaper than steel.

Lee said shortly after midnight that 29 people remained hospitalized.

He said the fire was "coming under control."

It is now past 1:30 a.m. Thursday in Hong Kong.

The death toll has now more than doubled. Hong Kong's leader John Lee says 36 people have died in the Tai Po highrise fires with 279 people reported missing, according to The Associated Press.

The Wang Fuk Court fire is Hong Kong's worst fire since 41 people died in a commercial building in the heart of Kowloon in November 1996, according to Reuters. That fire was found to be caused by welding during internal renovations.

A public inquiry led to sweeping updates to building standards and fire safety regulations in the city's highrise offices, shops and homes.

Another large building fire took place in Hong Kong in August 2008, according to the New York Times. The fire in the mixed-use 15-storey building called Cornwall Court broke out in a karaoke bar. Four people were killed in the 2008 blaze, including two firefighters.

An entire section of one of Hong Kong's two main highways, Tai Po Road, is closed.

At least six schools will be closed on Thursday due to the fire and traffic congestion, the city's Education Bureau (EDB) said in a news release.

The bureau's statement said educational psychologists have been sent to the shelters to support affected students.

"The EDB urges schools and school personnel in the district to pay attention to students' emotions and provide necessary support for students in need," the statement said.

The government of Hong Kong has confirmed the name of a firefighter who was killed in the fire as Ho Wai-ho.

In a statement Hong Kong Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung expressed her condolences to Ho's family and to the families of other victims of the fire.

"I pay solemn tribute to Mr. Ho for his gallantry and selfless devotion to duty," Yeung said, adding her department had contacted the fire department and would "make every effort to help the family of Mr. Ho during this sad and difficult period."

As Westbrook spoke, dozens of fire trucks and emergency vehicles could be seen lined up along a blocked off street behind her. Flames are still visible in several of the complex's buildings in live videos of the scene.

Westbrook said firefighters have been using water cannons that could reach about midway up the towers of more than 30 storeys.

The nighttime darkness, heat and falling debris have created difficult conditions for the overnight rescue and firefighting operations. Police and firefighters say they haven't yet been able to conduct a full sweep of the towers.

It's still not clear how many people might still be trapped inside apartment units.

In videos taken earlier Wednesday, the fire could be seen spreading between buildings along green mesh and scaffolding that connected and encased them.

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