Vic cops' blast recovery 'to take years'

The recovery for three police officers injured in an horrific explosion at a Melbourne flat is likely to take years, Commissioner Ken Lay says.

Sergeant Tony Scully, Constable Emma Quick and a constable known as Varli were among six people injured when a gas bottle exploded at the Middle Park flat on Saturday night.

Firefighter Andrew Wood suffered facial injuries in the blast, but went back in to save one of the female police officers.

A second firefighter and a resident were also injured.

Mr Lay, who has visited the officers, said Sgt Scully was out of intensive care and was in a general burns unit, while the two constables remained in a serious but stable condition.

Their recovery would take a significant amount of time, Mr Lay said.

"This is going to be a recovery for these members that probably takes years, rather than months or weeks," he told Fairfax Radio on Wednesday.

"They've endured significant injuries.

"We were very, very lucky that we didn't lose three members that night."

The officers had been responding to a man threatening self-harm, but Mr Lay said it did not appear as though they'd been put in a trap.

"It doesn't seem now that our members were targeted," he said.

"It seems as though they've been put into a circumstance where the inevitable happened when there's a room full of gas."