KEY POINTS:
A Fire Service inquiry into an explosion and fire at a Hamilton coolstore that left a fireman dead and several others injured has been given a 30-day extension.
The April 5 blast and fire at the Icepak Coolstore in suburban Tamahere killed senior station officer Derek Lovell and injured seven other firemen.
Fire Service chief executive Mike Hall said today the inquiry team, headed by Dr Paula Beever, was originally given 90 days to report back.
Mr Hall said that given the issues around the Tamahere event, and the need for absolute accuracy within the report, he was comfortable with the extension.
"This additional month recognises the complexity of the issues the inquiry team are addressing and I do not want timeline pressure to distract them from the task," Mr Hall said.
Late last month, the Department of Labour identified the gas that exploded at the coolstore.
It was Hychill-50, previously known as HR22/502, and was a highly flammable propane gas.
The Labour Department's report did not find a cause of the fire.
The Fire Service team would submit its report to Mr Hall by August 12. He then has 10 days to consider its implications and recommendations before providing comment back to Dr Beever.
A final report would then be presented to the Fire Service Commission for review and at that stage a decision made on the public release of the report.
- NZPA
