Arson Suspected In Fire That Claimed Melbourne's LUX Nightclub

Police are currently investigating a fire that claimed popular Melbourne nightclub LUX as suspicious, the ABC have reported.

The blaze occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning, with 50 firefighters and 15 fire trucks called to the Chapel Street, Prahran location just before 2am.

While no injuries were reported and the fire was contained in under two hours, surrounding Chapel Street was closed until later in the day due to "structural issues" affecting the building.

“Within minutes of the first call, the top area of the LUX nightclub was fully involved in fire and it was starting to come out through the roof space,” said Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mitch Simons of Fire Rescue Victoria.

According to reports, the venue's first floor bar has been completely gutted, while the Westpac bank and boutique store located below have also suffered damage in the blaze.

The fire has, however, been deemed suspicious by police, with an arson chemist visiting the affected area later that same day. “Police will investigate whether the incident is linked to any other recent incidents,” said a Victoria police spokesperson.

According to 9News, unconfirmed reports from 3AW callers alleged that men in balaclavas had been seen running from the building before the blaze.

Footage obtained by the Daily Mail allegedly shows a trio of masked men outside of the LUX Nightclub before the incident on Thursday morning. The men were reportedly seen entering the venue minutes earlier carrying jerry cans. The footage also allegedly shows one of the unidentified men attempting to extinguish his pants and sleeves which had been set alight in the nightclub.

LUX Nightclub has been operating at its Chapel Street location since its opening in 2014, boasting DJs utilising their “state of the art lighting and sound” alongside its standard club fare.