Peter Rau resigned as the MFB boss in September. Mr Rau said nothing has changed since 2014 that gave him confidence another major fire could be avoided at Lacrosse, and warned the original blaze could have easily proven fatal. "We were really lucky," he said, citing strong water pressure that allowed the sprinklers to douse the flames more efficiently than expected. Mr Rau called for signs to be placed in the foyer of the Lacrosse building, warning residents or visitors about the risk posed by the cladding "and the need to evacuate quickly should a fire occur". "People have the right to know," he said.

"I wouldn't allow my kids to live in the building. It's just too a big a risk in its current state." The imported Chinese cladding installed on the Lacrosse building was tested by the CSIRO and found to be so combustible that the test was abandoned at 93 seconds due to fear excessive flaming and smoking would damage equipment. It is suspected a similar cladding could have been installed on the Grenfell Tower in London, where this week's inferno killed at least 17 people. Mr Rau also said he was worried about the safety of firefighters being sent in to battle fires caused by cladding, saying "the job is difficult enough for them already". Similar concerns were raised by acting Chief Officer Paul Stacchino, who warned in 2015 that the MFB may need to withdraw its officers from apartments affected by cladding because firefighters' lives would be in danger.

"This would involve a risk to the life of occupants and represents a terrible choice and possibly, tragic actions," he wrote. "I hope the MFB is never in this position." The cladding on the Lacrosse building was first ordered off the tower in October 2015, but the removal was delayed by an appeal and unsuccessful bid by the tower's builder LU Simon to instead install more sprinklers. In January this year the Building Appeals Board again ruled that the panels should be removed after finding they created a "significant and unacceptable risk" to hundreds of residents and emergency services. It warned the sprinklers might fail with "catastrophic" results. However plans for removal have been hamstrung by delays. The owners of the 328 apartments at Lacrosse have been given until July 2018 to remove the cladding.

A building appeals board spokesman said the determination was to allow "sufficient time for the Owners Corporation to engage builders" but the cladding removal should be commenced "at the earliest opportunity in 2017". Meanwhile, a dispute between the owners and LU Simon drags out in court, with the owners seeking $15 million in damages. The City of Melbourne's building surveyor says the Lacrosse building is safe to occupy, provided "interim safety measures" are maintained including keeping balconies clear of clutter and limiting occupancy numbers. However a City of Melbourne spokeswoman noted "ultimate responsibility for compliance with occupancy permits" rests with the owners of the apartments. It's understood the owners are mostly investors, many based overseas, who rent out the properties to foreign students and workers.