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 bystander captured the moment a trio of masked men fled the LUX nightclub in Melbourne’s South Yarra shortly before 2am on Thursday.
A few minutes earlier, the men were seen getting out of a small blue hatchback 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 trousers and sleeves, which had been set on fire after he flooded the nightclub.
A second man tried to pat the clothes clean, while a third poured more accelerant onto the footpath outside the club.
The trio got back into the hatchback and were last seen driving north along Chapel Street towards Richmond.
Bystander Erik Lund was on his way home when he saw the men dressed in balaclavas entering the club.
“I saw a man kick this hatch and that’s when I realized something was actually going on, not just vandalism,” Mr Lund said. told the Herald Sun.
A trio of arsonists, dressed all in black, were caught just before 2 a.m. on Thursday by bystanders who stormed into Melbourne’s LUX Nightclub with jerry cans.
One of the men was filmed trying to put out the flames on their arms and legs after they were set on fire while he was in the building
‘[I saw] They ran in, broke in, the alarm went off, and then there was silence for a minute, and then all of a sudden they all came running out with fire on their hands and clothes and behind them and everything.”
Mr Lund claimed to have seen one of the men with an ax or sledgehammer.
He called triple-0 and emergency services arrived to put out the fire.
As many as 50 firefighters and 15 fire engines rushed to the scene to battle the inferno on the top floor of the nightclub, which took almost two hours to extinguish.
The fire spread to a neighboring clothing store, which was also damaged.
There was no one in either building at the time and no injuries were reported.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident, which is being treated as suspicious.
No arrests or charges have been filed yet.
Dozens of firefighters were sent to the burning building, which took hours to extinguish
The incident was one of three suspicious fires in Melbourne that night.
Detective Inspector Chris Murray from the Arson and Explosives Squad said it was only a matter of time before someone was killed.
“The behavior of these perpetrators is downright frightening,” he said.
“While I know some people find it funny to see people setting themselves on fire in situations like this, the reality is that a number of people could have died as a result of this fire.
“We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: It’s pure luck that stands between a fire that damages property and a fire that kills dozens of people.
“Fire is absolutely out of control and the sheer recklessness of this offense is simply abhorrent.”
“Someone will eventually die at the hands of these foolish arsonists who pay no attention to the deadly consequences of their actions.”
Insp Murray urged the public to come forward with any information about the arsonists.
He also urged medical professionals who treated suspected burns and pharmacists who sold burn treatments to speak to authorities immediately.
No one was injured in the firebombing, but the nightclub needs to be ‘completely rebuilt’ and a neighboring fashion store was also damaged in the blaze
Chapel Street remained closed until mid-morning Thursday due to structural damage to the fire-affected building.
A neighborhood warning was also issued due to smoke in the area.
Acting Assistant Fire Officer Mitch Simons said the club would require a ‘complete rebuild’.
‘[Fire crews] discovered that the building was completely on fire on the second floor and that flames had started to penetrate the roof,” he told 3AW.
“It’s a complete rebuild, the fire engulfed the entire area of the nightclub and into the roof.
“Once the windows broke and the air got in, the fire really went through the roof and there wasn’t much we could do.”
The LUX firebombing was one of three suspected attacks in Melbourne overnight
Two other Middle Eastern cafes are also under investigation after they all experienced their own suspected arson on the same night.
Café Kasr Sweets in Coolaroo was partially set on fire at 1.10am when a car drove into it before another was hit Fayrouz Café in Caroline Springs around 3am.
The Kasr Sweets cafe that sells Lebanese sweets remained dropped off well into the morning as teams worked to assess the damage after a car crashed into it.
“Emergency services were called… after reports that a car had crashed into a sweet shop, causing a fire,” police said in a statement.
‘Firefighters extinguished the fire, which damaged the shop and nearby premises. Fortunately, no one was injured.
“Police will investigate whether the incident is related to other recent incidents.”
A second car also caused major damage Fayrouz Café.
Residents living in apartments above the cafe were evacuated and told to find alternative accommodation for the time being.
Dozens of apartments suffered smoke and water damage and inspectors have said residents cannot return until the building’s structural integrity is ensured.
Detectives are investigating whether the fire at LUX and the incident at Fayrouz Cafe are linked to another suspected firebomb attack in the north of the city.