Fire escapes were removed last year from a Castle St flat that went up in flames on Saturday, injuring three students.
An Otago Daily Times photograph shows fire escapes on either side of a second-storey room were in place in March last year but had since been removed.
Flat owner Brian Mee, of Ashburton, would make no comment on when or why the fire escapes were taken down.
"There's been enough publicity about it and it's at a delicate stage,'' Mr Mee said.
"There's an insurance claim in place. I won't be making any comment, I'm sorry.''
Mr Mee had not been in direct contact with injured University of Otago student Robby McPhail (19) or his family but said his property manager had been in "close contact'' with the family.
Mr McPhail was forced to jump from a second-storey window, breaking his ankle, to escape the fire at 660 Castle St about 6.30am on Saturday.
He had surgery in Dunedin Hospital to repair his hands after they were burned and lacerated during his escape.
Dunedin City Council building services manager Neil McLeod said he could not give a "categorical answer about 660'' but it was "highly likely'' fire escapes were not required.
"As a general rule, they are not needed.
"Most older buildings that have fire escapes on the outside do not actually need them to comply with the building code,'' Mr McLeod said.
The use of external fire escapes was discouraged now as they were ``too dangerous'', he said.
The council was working alongside the Fire Service to ensure all compliance issues had been met with regard to fire safety.
Specialist fire investigator Mike Harrison said they did not know why the fire escapes were taken down and were investigating the "legality'' of it.
"Because they were there initially, we are working to figure out whether they should have been taken down [but] we believe there was no requirement to have them,'' Mr Harrison said.
"If you build a house today, there's no requirement to have one.''
Asked if the fire escapes might have helped Mr McPhail get out of the house more easily and without a broken ankle, Mr Harrison said he might not have made it to a fire escape, such was the ferocity of the blaze.
The cause of the fire would not be known for "weeks'', he said.
East Otago area fire commander Laurence Voight said new smoke alarms installed by the landlord were found in cupboards in the flat.
Mr McPhail's father, Peter McPhail, of Auckland, said he had "no idea'' whether a fire escape could have prevented his son from breaking an ankle as his knowledge of the exterior of the building was limited.
