Environment Minister Bill Marmion says he would be concerned if a manager who approved a prescribed burn that became a destructive bushfire was not stood aside.
Mr Marmion is under pressure over the Margaret River fire after it destroyed 32 houses and nine holiday chalets last week when his department's burn got out of control.
It has emerged that Brad Commins, a Department of Environment and Conservation manager involved in approving the burn, was criticised by the WA coroner over three bushfire deaths in 2007.
After voluntarily stepping down he was reinstated by department director-general Keiran McNamara in 2009 after an independent inquiry cleared him of blame.
But Mr Marmion told reporters on Tuesday he would be concerned if Mr Commins was not stood aside, although that was a matter for Mr McNamara.
"I would be concerned if the director-general didn't do something about his position at the moment," he said.
Mr Commins is the department's manager in the Margaret River region.
Premier Colin Barnett has expressed concern that Mr Commins was involved in decision-making for the Margaret River burn after he was criticised over fire deaths in the Goldfields in December 2007.
Coroner Alastair Hope found Mr Commins and two other officers failed to consider vital weather information when they approved the reopening of a road while a fire was burning in Boorabbin National Park.
Truck drivers Robert Taylor, Trevor Murley and Lewis Bedford died when they drove into the fire after the road through the park was reopened.
Opposition Leader Eric Ripper has called for Mr Marmion to step down as environment minister or be sacked.
"You can see what the government is doing here. They're fitting up Keiran McNamara and other DEC employees to take the fall," Mr Ripper told ABC Radio.
"In our system the minister has to take responsibility."
Mr Marmion said on Tuesday he took full responsibility for the "tragic accident" but it was a case of waiting for the result of an independent inquiry before laying blame.
"I think we should wait till we have the investigation before we burn anyone in this particular case," he told ABC Radio.
Mr McNamara said the burn was started on September 16 but unseasonal wet weather prevented it being completed in the time expected and it had to be reignited to burn it out and make it safe.
Hundreds of evacuees have returned to their homes as firefighters continue to contain the fire, which no longer poses a threat to lives or homes.
Mr Barnett says his government will donate $500,000 to the Perth Lord Mayor's relief fund for victims of the fire, which he has declared a natural disaster, triggering extra government recovery assistance.
