In the aftermath of the Ghost Ship fire that claimed 36 lives, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf called for a top-down review of the Fire Department’s understaffed inspection bureau and a better computer system for keeping track of buildings that need checking.

After six months and a second deadly fire that the mayor said “further underscores the urgent need for reforms,” not that much has changed.

Inspection issues played a big role in both the Dec. 2 fire at the converted Ghost Ship warehouse, which had long escaped the city’s scrutiny, and a March 27 fire at a halfway house on San Pablo Avenue that killed four people. Firefighters had flagged problems there, but inspectors were slow to order changes.

The city is “in the process” of hiring seven inspectors, Hunt said, but there is no set date for when they will actually hit the streets.

It’s pretty much the same story on finding a fire chief to replace Teresa Deloach Reed, who was the target of criticism for the inspection deficiencies, went on leave and then retired in March. Hunt said the city has conducted a series of “community input meetings” to “guide the recruiter toward the types of candidates” who would make a good chief. The goal is to have a new chief by June or July.

Also in the works: a new computer system aimed at keeping buildings like the Ghost Ship from falling through the cracks. It’s moving toward City Council approval, but there’s no estimate for when it might come online.

In other words, six months after the promised fire inspection reforms, they are all very much a work in progress.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross