Several suspicious fires in Melbourne’s suburbs under police investigation

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Investigations are continuing into the cause of several fires in Melbourne's suburbs, at homes and a shop. Several of the fires have been deemed suspicious, with police working to identify those responsible.

Transcript

00:00The burnt out remains of a ute protrudes from a shop front in Melbourne's north.

00:06The milk bar in Meadow Heights declared a crime scene.

00:10The car was set alight after being rammed into the building.

00:13I just heard a big bang, like something exploded.

00:16I thought someone hit one of our cars.

00:20So that's why initially I ran out and then when I looked towards the shop I saw smoke.

00:25Police say two men were seen dousing the vehicle with liquid before fleeing.

00:29Detectives from Task Force Luna, the team established to target the illicit tobacco

00:34trade in Melbourne, are investigating.

00:36A man and woman living on site were uninjured.

00:40Police are also investigating an unrelated fire at a restaurant on the Hume Highway in

00:45nearby Campbell Field.

00:47The building went up in flames around 4.30am.

00:51In Reservoir, at least two homes will be demolished after a fire at one house quickly spread to

00:56two neighbouring buildings.

00:58I was just driving past on my way to work and I just saw smoke coming over the back

01:02of the house.

01:03So I pulled into the side street and jumped out and there's no one outside of the house

01:08yet so I, you know, went and banged on the door and finally three blokes came out.

01:13Neighbours rushed to help where they could.

01:14I looked at the door and the flame everywhere, you know, the roof just starting to catch

01:20on and then I grabbed my hose.

01:23Crews were quickly on site, bringing the fire under control in around an hour.

01:28Several shocked residents escaped unharmed.

01:31Two firefighters were treated for minor electric shocks.

01:34People in house number three were at home, asleep.

01:38Crews bashing on the door found them and evacuated them safely while actively fighting the fire.

01:44An aggressive fire attack externally was able to prevent any further damage to house number

01:48three.

01:49The cause of that fire is unknown.

01:52And in Windsor, in the city's inner east, a three-storey duplex fire this afternoon

01:56is being treated as suspicious.

01:58No one was injured.

02:00Police say none of today's fires are believed to be related.

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