Milli Lovell said yesterday she's pleased the report cleared the firefighters involved in the Tamahere tragedy. Photo / Paul Estcourt
Milli Lovell said yesterday she's pleased the report cleared the firefighters involved in the Tamahere tragedy. Photo / Paul Estcourt
KEY POINTS:
The wife of firefighter Derek Lovell is still overwhelmed by the Tamahere coolstore tragedy that took her husband nearly six months ago.
Milli Lovell made a brief but emotional appearance yesterday at Hamilton Central Fire Station as the Fire Service released its report into the tragedy at Tamaherewhich claimed the life of her husband in April. She fought back tears as she said the report cleared her husband's former colleagues of any blame.
"I'm really pleased the report determines the very high professional level to which all the men involved in the accident acted," she said.
Mrs Lovell said she and her daughter had "got on well" and were "moving along with life positively".
"I have given (away) the pain, the deep pain I endured the first four months after the incident," she said.
"It is quite overwhelming and it completely takes my breath away and on that basis I don't wish to make any further comment," she said.
Fire Services chief executive, Mike Hall, said there was "relief" among firefighters.
He said it was "quite possible" the firefighters' entrance into the plant room caused a turbulence effect, lifting the gas from the floor whereby it mixed into the air to become an "explosive atmosphere".
"At that point any electrical activity would have triggered the explosion," he said.
Waikato Fire Service deputy commander Roy Breeze said the report had "brought up a few feelings" for his staff. His colleague, Merv Neil, who was among those injured on April 5, is still recovering in Waikato Hospital with burns to 71 per cent of his body.
