A luxury car dealership in Melbourne’s south-east containing about 30 vehicles erupted in flames on Friday morning.<\/p>\n
About 25 fire trucks and 60 firefighters were called to the AutoSport Prestige dealership on Taunton Drive in Cheltenham, where a brick factory was engulfed in fire.<\/p>\n
It took emergency services almost two hours to bring the fire under control, which also spread into another nearby building.<\/p>\n
Victoria Police said the fire was deliberately lit about 4.40am, and an investigation was underway.<\/p>\n
“It is understood unknown offenders set a business alight on Taunton Drive about 4.40am,” a police spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
“There were two people inside at the time however they escaped uninjured.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The roof of the factory buckled from the heat of the blaze. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said although the two people escaped injury, many of the vehicles inside the factory were damaged by fire or smoke.<\/p>\n
FRV Commander Rob Joyce said the fire was so intense that crews were unable to enter the building initially.<\/p>\n
“The fire was coming through the roof, flames at least 20 metres high,” Commander Joyce said.<\/p>\n
“The roof was coming down and the walls were coming in \u2026 absolutely too dangerous for the firefighters.”<\/p>\n
A wall on the northern side of the building was also compromised by the blaze and threatened a neighbouring factory.<\/p>\n
FRV firefighters remained on scene during the morning to continue to extinguish the fire.<\/p>\n
Pair arrested over separate fire in Melbourne’s south-west<\/p>\n
In a separate incident across the city, police arrested two men after a fire at an automotive repair business in Laverton.<\/p>\n
Police said officers on patrol spotted a building on fire on Triholm Avenue about 3.40am.<\/p>\n
Authorities were seen loading a fire-damaged BMW onto a truck following the incident.<\/p>\n
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A jerry can was seen near a fire damaged luxury SUV in Laverton. (ABC News)<\/p>\n