New fire probe

By Kath Gannaway
A MAN who made several submissions to the bushfire royal commission on the possible cause of the Murrindindi fire on Black Saturday is calling on the Victorian Coroner to finish the job the commission was unable to do.
Former wind-farm owner/operator Michael Gunter told the Mail he would write to the Coroner requesting he investigate the cause of the Murrindindi blaze that razed Narbethong and Marysville on 7 February 2009 killing 34 people.
The way is open for a renewed investigation after Victoria Police last week announced it had abandoned criminal investigations into the cause of the fire.
A police spokesperson confirmed last week that CFA volunteer Ron Philpott, captain of the Murrindindi-Woodbourne CFA at the time of the Black Saturday fires, was no longer the focus of a criminal investigation.
The two-year arson investigation led to the Bushfire Royal Commission decision not to examine the cause of the Murrindindi blaze which raced across the Black Range.
The revelation that there may be another cause for the fire has turned a spotlight on Mr Gunter’s submissions to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission(BRC) on possible causes of the fire, and claims that residents living near the Murrindindi sawmill where the fire is said to start heard loud bangs at the time.
In a technical report and analysis dated December 2009 and submitted to the BRC Mr Gunter questioned many of the findings in relation to power supply in the area and reported that in discussions with local residents he had established that there was a power failure on the Saturday morning.
He also provided photographs of frayed power lines in the area.
In a submission in March 2010 Mr Gunter acknowledged the restricted ability of the BRC to investigate the cause of the Murrindindi fire but said there was a need to scientifically disprove the scenarios he had put forward which he said were based on a good working knowledge of the technology and science around the matter.
“Anything less will result in lingering public doubts as to the real cause of the Murrindindi Mill firestorm, given the death toll, the massive destruction and the cost of this high profile disaster,” he wrote.
Mr Gunter said on Monday he was writing to the Coroner requesting an inquest into the fire itself and was optimistic it would happen.
“That would mean the Coroner will be in a position to finish the unfinished business of the royal commission,” he said.
Victoria Police spokesperson Senior Constable Marty Beveridge said police were preparing a brief of evidence around the Murrindindi fire for the Coroner.
He said the cause of the fire continued to be investigated and called on anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.