An officer received a formal letter of reprimand after his performance was found “wanting” in connection with the March Folly fire.

Minister of Works and Engineering Dennis Lister announced the findings yesterday after an extensive review into the causes of the fire and the Government’s performance.

He also revealed two insurance claims from people affected by the fire have already been paid. The fire, which began on February 28, produced flames more than 90 feet high sent smoke billowing across the island and forced the closure of the Hamilton Health Centre. It was extinguished a week later.

Mr. Lister said: “The Ministry takes accountability seriously. To this end, it has reviewed the actions of its officers in the management of their responsibilities leading up to the fire and has determined that in some areas performance was wanting.

“The lessons learned [from the review] should have been identified and addressed earlier. Therefore a formal letter of reprimand has been placed on the personal file of the officer.”

A spokesman for the Ministry would not say how the individual’s performance was found wanting nor what the individuals responsibilities are.

During the fire the Ministry established a hotline to allow business and residents affected by the smoke and ash to lodge complaints. They also made insurance claim forms available at their headquarters.

They received 34 complaints, mostly for roof and tank concerns. So far 23 have been processed and two payments have been made. The Minister said they would continue to work with their insurers until the claims have been dealt with. A spokesman did not reveal how much was paid out to the two claimants.

The review also examined why the fire started and found it was caused by spontaneous combustion and exacerbated by the large mound of horticultural material at the site.

Marsh Folly received on average 700 truck loads of horticultural waste a week and at the time of the fire the amount of waste was larger than normal due to key equipment being broken and replacement equipment being en route to the Island.

Mr. Lister said: “We have worked with the Bermuda Fire Service to establish a maximum height [of piles] and clear area for piles of horticulture waste.

“We have identified key equipment that will receive priority attention when a fault has been detected. We have clarified emergency purchasing procedures.”

He also revealed that the Ministry is looking into alternative methods of processing the waste, such as in-vessel composting. During the fire Bermuda Water Consultants were contracted to test the air and water quality in the area, which found that there were no harmful effects as a result of the fire.

Mr. Lister thanked the Bermuda Fire Service, St. George’s Fire Brigade, Bermuda Regiment and Works and Engineering staff who helped extinguish the fire.

He also thanked members of the private sector such as D&J Construction, Island Construction, Hunts Sanitation, James Water Service and others also responded quickly and assisted the Government.

Mr. Lister said: “This unfortunate matter has now come to an end. The Ministry of Works and Engineering apologises for the inconvenience caused by the fire and wishes to assure the public that the steps we have taken will significantly decrease the likelihood of a recurrence.”