Arsonist sets himself on fire at popular nightclub as police launch investigation into ‘suspicious fire’

A man set himself on fire after he and two other arsonists set fire to a popular nightclub in front of shocked witnesses.

Footage filmed by a passerby captured the moment a trio of masked men fled from LUX nightclub in Melbourne’s South Yarra shortly before 2am on Thursday.

Minutes earlier, the men were seen getting out of a small blue sedan and carrying jerry cans into the nightclub, in full view of witnesses on the street.

On his way out, a man was seen trying to put out his pants and sleeves which had caught fire after dousing the nightclub.

A second man tried to clean the clothes while a third was seen pouring more accelerant onto the pavement outside the club.

The trio got back into the hatchback and were last seen driving north along Chapel Street towards Richmond.

Passerby Erik Lund was on his way home when he spotted the hooded men entering the club.

“I saw a guy kicking this shutter and then I realized there was actually something going on, not just vandalism,” Mr Lund told the Herald Sun.

“(I saw them) break in, the alarm started going off, and then it was like quiet for a minute, then all of a sudden they all came running out with fire on the hands and clothes and behind them and everything.”

Mr Lund said he saw one of the men carrying an ax or hammer.

He called triple 0 and help arrived to put out the fire.

Up to 50 firefighters and 15 fire engines rushed to the scene to battle the blaze on the top floor of the nightclub, which took almost two hours to extinguish.

The fire spread to a nearby clothing store, which was also damaged.

No one was inside either building at the time and no injuries were reported.

Police have opened an investigation into the incident, which is being treated as suspicious.

No arrests or charges have yet been made.

The incident was one of three suspicious fires in Melbourne overnight.

Detective Inspector Chris Murray of the Arson and Explosives Squad said it was only a matter of time before someone was killed.

“The behavior of these offenders is simply frightening,” he said.

“While I know some people find it funny to see people burst into flames in situations like this, the reality is that we could have killed a number of people from this fire.

“We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: It’s only by sheer luck that there’s a fire that damages a property and a fire that kills dozens of people.

“The fire is absolutely out of control and the sheer recklessness of this offense is nothing short of abhorrent. »

“Someone will eventually die because of these stupid arsonists who don’t think about the deadly consequences of their actions.”

Inspector Murray urged the public to come forward with any information they may have regarding the arsonists.

He also asked medical professionals who treated suspected burns and pharmacists who sold burn treatments to speak to authorities immediately.

Chapel Street remained closed until mid-morning Thursday due to structural damage to the fire-affected building.

A community alert regarding smoke in the area has also been issued.

Acting Deputy Fire Chief Mitch Simons said the club would need a “complete rebuild.”

“(Firefighters) discovered that the second floor premises were fully on fire and flames were beginning to come through the roof,” he told 3AW.

“It’s a complete reconstruction, the fire destroyed the entire nightclub area and the roof.

“Once the windows broke and the air came in, the fire really spread through the roof and there wasn’t much we could do.”

Two other Middle Eastern cafes are also under investigation after each was the victim of its own suspected arson attack during the same night.

The Kasr Sweets cafe in Coolaroo was partially set on fire when a car entered it at 1.10am before another entered. Fayrouz Café in Caroline Springs around 3am.

The Kasr Sweets café that sells The Lebanese candy store remained cordoned off until late in the morning as crews worked to assess the damage after a car drove into it.

“Emergency services were called… after reports that a car had driven into a tuck shop and a fire had broken out,” police said in a statement.

“Firefighters put out the fire which damaged the store and neighboring premises. Fortunately, no one was injured.

“Police will investigate whether the incident is linked to other recent incidents.”

A second car also caused significant damage to the Café Fayrouz.

Residents living in apartments above the cafe have been evacuated and asked to find alternative accommodation for the time being.

Dozens of apartments suffered smoke and water damage and inspectors said residents could not return until the structural integrity of the building was assured.

Detectives are investigating whether the LUX fire and the Fayrouz cafe incident are linked to another suspected firebombing in the north of the city.