A panel shop fire which spread to a neighboring factory and killed two people is believed to be a targeted attack.
Emergency services were called to the blaze in Melbourne’s west at 4am on Friday.
Police have said the fire broke out in a shop on Bunnett Street in Sunshine North before spreading to a factory where two people were sleeping.
The pair died at the scene and are yet to be formally identified.
By the time firefighters arrived the single-storey factory was fully engulfed by flames.
Emergency services were called to the blaze in Melbourne’s west on Friday morning
An advice message was issued due to a large amount of smoke in the area.
The alert requested that residents in the nearby area stay informed about 5am.
A Fire Rescue Victoria spokesperson said it took about 50 firefighters with 12 trucks almost three hours to get the fire under control.
‘(Fire Rescue Victoria) conducted attack of the fire from above, while crews in breathing apparatus undertook an internal attack containing the (fire) to the factory,’ the spokesperson said.
‘The incident has been deemed suspicious and Victoria Police has established a crime scene.’
Detectives believe the fire was a ‘targeted attack’ and the two people killed were not connected to the panel shop.
The fire is also not believed to be linked to any other recent fires or Operation Lunar, which targets Victoria’s illicit tobacco trade.
Crews got the blaze under control around 7am
Crews got the blaze under control around 7am.
Police remained at the scene as and were investigating the circumstances of the fire.
The cause is yet to be determined.
Investigations are ongoing.
Anyone with information that may have information is urged to contact Victoria Police or Crime Stoppers.