The inquiry into the Hazelwood mine fire has been reopened to examine claims that people have died due to air pollution from the blaze in February last year.

The Victorian Government said the inquiry would address the unfinished business of last year's inquiry into the fire, which left a cloud of smoke over the town of Morwell for 45 days.

The inquiry would also look at mine rehabilitation for Latrobe Valley coal mines and the recently closed Anglesea mine.

The Government has also announced it will set up a health clinic to assess the health of people affected by last year's fire and purchase equipment to test people's lung function.

Adrian Barnett, from the Queensland University of Technology, analysed official Births, Deaths and Marriages data, found there was a high probability there had been 11 premature deaths in the Latrobe Valley that could be attributed to the mine fire.

At the time of the fire, vulnerable residents were advised to relocate from the town because of poor air quality.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy said she could not comment on whether compensation would be offered if the inquiry found the fire did contribute to an increase in deaths in the area.

"Look, I'm not going to prejudge where the inquiry comes, we want the answers and then whatever the answers are, we'll deal with the consequences of those," she said.

Bernard Teague will continue as the inquiry chairman, with assistance from Professor John Catford and Anita Roper, the former chief executive of Sustainability Victoria.

Professor Catford said the board would commission independent experts to provide information about air pollution and mortality rates.

"This is not something that can be done quickly or lightly," he said.

"We'll probably have to go back to the regional data base from the registrar of Births and Deaths."

Liability of GDF Suez unlikely to be probed further

Mr Teague said the inquiry was unlikely to further the investigate the potential liability of the Hazelwood mine operator GDF Suez for causing the fire to burn out of control.

"If it's possible to get any further into that, that is something we would look at," he said.

Fire crews battled the mine blaze for 45 days. ( ABC News )

"But at the moment I would assume that we are going to be left in the dark for whatever reasons."

The president of Voices of the Valley, Wendy Farmer, said the new terms of reference for the inquiry demonstrated the Government was taking the health concerns of people in the Latrobe Valley seriously.

She said anecdotal evidence suggested at least 50 people could have died from aneurisms, heart attacks and strokes related to the fire.

"Look I'm really excited and I think this whole community will be excited," she said.

"We've had a real win today in the fact that eventually the health of our community is being looked at.

"We have a new clinic that's going to be set up for people that have been affected by the fire, and they can actually get that physical help that they have been calling for."

The board of inquiry will be required to report to the Governor on three key issues: the Anglesea coal mine by 31 August, health issues by 2 December and Latrobe Valley mine rehabilitation options by March 15 next year.

The board will invite written submissions from the public and is expected to soon announce details of community consultation sessions and public hearings.