Yarra Valley tobacco store set alight, Prahan store also gutted by fire

A tobacco store fire in the Yarra Valley is being treated as suspicious, while another blaze broke out at a shop opposite Revolver Nightclub on Chapel Street.

Police at the scene of the Prahan tobacco store on Chapel St. Picture: David Crosling

Two tobacco stores have been damaged by fire in separate incidents in Melbourne in the early hours of Sunday morning, including one which police are treating as suspicious.

In the first blaze, a car rammed into a tobacconist in Seville, in the Yarra Valley, before it was set alight just before 2am.

The scene at the tobacco fire in Seville. Picture: Facebook

A passer by noticed the blaze and called emergency services to the shop on the Warburton Highway.

Police said the offenders fled into another waiting vehicle.

An arson chemist was due to attend the scene on Sunday morning.

Kayla Mercury manages the restaurant next door which was also damaged.

The glass door to the burger shop was smashed but Ms Mercury said she felt fortunate it wasn’t worse.

“It is crazy it happened right next door to us and all the damage to our shop too,” she said.

Ms Mercury said the tobacco firebombings were happening all the time.

“It’s no shock as this happens to smoke shops everywhere,” she said.

The car which rammed into the tobacconist. Picture David Crosling

Emergency services also attended a fire in Prahran less than an hour later.

A large blaze quickly spread through the shop on Chapel Street about 2.50am.

The fire was contained in 45 minutes and police said the fire was not being treated as suspicious “at this stage”.

This tobacco store in Prahan was also damaged by fire. Picture: David Crosling

The shop is located opposite the infamous Revolver Upstairs nightclub

Partygoer Zach said he was shocked to see what happened just across the road as he left the club just before 9am.

The crime scene in Seville. Picture David Crosling

“I was in there last night at around 1am getting some chewy,” he said.