THE latest Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) report into the Toodyay fire does not provide residents with closure and those affected by the fire believe there needs to be an independent inquiry if the whole truth is to be revealed.
The FESA investigation into the December bushfire found power pole failure was the suspected cause.
The report, released earlier this month, also said another suspected cause was energised conductors dropping onto the ground, igniting vegetation.
Fire investigation officer Gary Baxter said it was FESA's conclusion that the fire was accidental and the cause was electrical.
"All potential causes have been eliminated other than electricity which may have started the fire in two ways, either through power pole failure or an unknown foreign airborne object contacting the conductors," Mr Baxter said.
A report released by Energy Safety in August also concluded that the fire was started by a Western Power pole falling over and bringing its high voltage conductor into contact with the ground.
But Toodyay fire survivor Laurie Biggs, who lost his home and car in the fire, said while it was refreshing to see a second report it didn't go far enough and there were still "cloudy areas".
Mr Biggs said he was happy the FESA report corresponded to the Energy and Safety report, but the whole truth would only come out if an independent inquiry took place.
"It's certainly not a professional report," Mr Biggs said.
"I've found at least five discrepancies in the report and a good investigation would not have shown that."
Mr Biggs said one of those discrepancies was the time it took to put out the fire.
"They said they had the fire under control in so many hours and it was out in so many days, but I still had trees burning on this property four months after the fire," he said.
"It's an inaccurate report and the professionalism of it leaves a lot to be desired."
Mr Biggs said he hoped Toodyay residents received some sort of interim compensation in the meantime.
But he said he was happy the government had now allocated money for new power poles in the southern half of the state.
"That is a good outcome from all this," Mr Biggs said.
"The government has finally admitted that this pole thing has to be sorted out once and for all."
Toodyay shire president Kevin Hogg said he welcomed the findings of both reports, but until the question of liability was determined, there would be no resolution.
"The reports are both very similar and we welcome the reports as showing a potential cause, however, that does not contribute to liability," Mr Hogg said.
"It's one small step in that two authorities have a similar cause for the fire, but it does not take the important step in relation to liability.
"And the question of liability is the key issue for the people of Toodyay."
Mr Hogg said Western Power will continue to deny liability.
"Western Power can't admit liability under the terms of its insurance contract," he said.
"Their insurers need to admit liability or not but they will be unwilling to because of the amount of the payout.
"Compensation follows liability, and if there is no liability found in Western Power, either by admission from the insurers or by a finding from the court, then there won't be any compensation."
Western Power is still denying any responsibility.
Western Power managing director Doug Aberle said the report didn't change the company's stance, that it was not liable for the fire.
He said FESA's report indicated eye witnesses had seen the power pole in question standing after the fire had started and that it meant blame couldn't be conclusively laid on pole failure.
But the report also said the smoke and distance from the eye witnesses would have made it impossible for them to be sure it was still standing at the time.
FESA could not conclusively pinpoint the fire's point of origin and a separate report found FESA could not have done anything differently to have reduced the devastation caused by the fire.
FESA chief operations officer Craig Hynes said that while the Major Incident Review (MIR) reached the conclusion that the best possible outcome had been achieved, there were 13 recommendations in the areas of prevention, prepardness, response and organisational issues.
"Although it was the review team's opinion that there was nothing further FESA could have done that would have changed the outcomes of the fire, we are making the necessary changes to improve our operational effectiveness," Mr Hynes said.
Shadow Emergency Services Minister Margaret Quirk said the report revealed the Barnett Government must urgently address a range of issues before the next bushfire season begins.
Ms Quirk said despite Emergency Services Minister Rob Johnson giving FESA unqualified endorsement of its management practices, many of the report findings require a swift Barnett Government response.
