A major fire has damaged up to ten businesses in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Richmond after what police allege was a deliberate arson attack early this morning.
According to reports from SBS News and The New Daily, emergency services were called to Victoria Street around 4:15 am on Monday. Fire Rescue Victoria deployed more than 80 firefighters and nearly 30 trucks to combat the blaze, which had engulfed a single building and was spreading smoke to neighbouring shops.
Victoria Police allege the fire was started when a vehicle was intentionally driven into one of the businesses before being set on fire, SBS News reported. The offenders are said to have fled the scene before emergency crews arrived. The incident is being treated as a suspected arson attack.
Fire crews successfully contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to adjacent properties, but multiple shopfronts sustained damage, according to SBS News. The New Daily reported that as many as ten businesses were believed to be impacted by the fire and smoke. No injuries were reported at the time of the incident.
As a result of the fire and the ongoing investigation, Victoria Street was closed to traffic and tram services, VicEmergency advised in a community alert. Local residents were also warned of smoke in the area.
The incident is the latest in a series of fires targeting businesses in Melbourne, as reported by The Nightly. Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire.
For further details, readers can refer to the original report by ABC News.