Overview
- Love Machine, which caught fire early Thursday, was gutted as 45 firefighters using 14 trucks attacked the blaze from outside and brought it under control by about 4:25am.
- Victoria Police declared the cause suspicious, kept the site as a crime scene, and said they are reviewing CCTV and images of vehicles leaving the area.
- Investigators seized two 20-litre fuel cans at the entrance and are assessing reports the front door was rammed before accelerant was spread.
- No one was inside and no injuries were reported, while Malvern Road stayed closed, tram route 72 diverted, utilities were cut for safety, and a council surveyor is set to assess structural damage.
- The venue had been shut since last September after licensing breaches and has a violent history, including a 2019 drive-by that killed a guard and a patron, while its operator also ran Lux, which was torched in 2024.