The police investigation into the fire was closed on July 17, 2009, after being presented to the public prosecutor who agreed with the decision. The case was appealed, but the appeal was not upheld by the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the case remained closed. New investigations were conducted in 2013/2014 at the strong request of the bereaved to consider reopening the case, but the conclusion remained unchanged.
Most employees who worked in the Sunnmøre police district and on the case at the time are no longer there. Guri Falck Kristensen, prosecution leader in the police district, said: 'We have great understanding that the bereaved have a great need for answers and we wish we could give them that answer. There has of course been an expectation that the police should turn every stone to find answers to what caused the fire.
We have great understanding that the bereaved have a great need for answers and we wish we could give them that answer. There has of course been an expectation that the police should turn every stone to find answers to what caused the fire. To be left with these questions must be very difficult.