Palm trees along a popular coastal beach and marina burst into flames in what police believe was a suspected arson attack.
Dozens of onlookers watched in horror as four decades-old palm trees along Marine Parade in St Kilda, south-east of Melbourne, were submerged shortly after 7pm on Sunday.
Shocking images shared online by locals showed the towering inferno burning out of control in one of the trees located near a skate park near the boardwalk.
Thick columns of smoke emanated from the fire that erupted from one tree, while multiple fires were lit near the base of several others.
Palm trees along the St Kilda coast burst into flames on Sunday night
Thick columns of smoke emanated from the fire that erupted from one tree, while multiple fires were lit near the base of several others.
Fire crews and police responded to the scene minutes after multiple triple 0 calls.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames in 20 minutes.
One tree was destroyed and three others suffered minor damage.
The intensity of the flames attracted a large crowd of onlookers.
“Everyone was interested in it, but then they realized it was actually very close to the marina, where all the boats are, which could have been bad,” one local told the paper. Herald of the sun.
A fire quickly engulfed a tree (pictured) as horrified onlookers watched as emergency crews rushed to the scene.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman told WhatsNew2Day Australia the fires were believed to have been deliberately set and detectives are investigating the incident.
Nobody was hurt
Marine Parade is a major port in Victoria where ships worth thousands of dollars dock.
No ships were damaged.
The palm trees located in the area were built several decades ago and the oldest tree was planted in 1930.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
The palm trees on Marine Parade (pictured) were built several decades ago and the oldest tree was planted in 1930.
