Victoria
Fitzroy North tobacco shop destroyed in suspicious overnight fire
A suspicious overnight fire has gutted a tobacco shop in Melbourne's inner north after residents reported hearing explosions.
Residents in Melbourne's inner north were woken by the sound of loud explosions early on Monday morning as a fire completely gutted a local tobacco shop.
Emergency services were called to the scene in Fitzroy North just before 4:00 am, according to wire reports. Upon arrival, firefighting crews found the commercial property well alight, with thick smoke and flames already engulfing the storefront.
Neighbours living in the surrounding residential streets reported being startled awake by multiple loud blasts before looking outside to see smoke billowing from the premises. The intensity of the overnight blaze quickly destroyed the interior of the tobacco shop, leaving the structure severely damaged.
Victoria Police have confirmed they are treating the fire as suspicious. Arson chemists and specialist detectives are expected to examine the charred remains of the shopfront during the day to determine the exact cause of the ignition and locate the origin of the blasts.
At this stage, it remains unconfirmed whether anyone was inside the building when the fire broke out, and authorities have not reported any injuries. Police have also not yet released details regarding potential suspects or any vehicles seen leaving the area around the time of the incident.
The incident occurs amid a broader, ongoing police investigation into a series of suspicious fires at tobacco retailers across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. However, investigators have not yet stated whether this specific blaze in Fitzroy North is linked to the previous attacks.
Police have urged anyone with closed-circuit television footage, dashcam recordings or any information about suspicious activity in the area to contact Crime Stoppers.
Watch for police updates as forensic investigators complete their examination of the Fitzroy North scene.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
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