Melbourne hit by sixth consecutive night of arson attacks

Victoria Police are investigating another car fire in Melbourne after six consecutive days of arson attacks across the city.

Firefighters were called to the blaze at a house on Nepean Court in Taylors Lakes just after 11pm yesterday, finding a vehicle on fire in a double garage.

Emergency services said no-one was injured in the blaze, 30 kilometres north-west of central Melbourne.

The fire is being treated as suspicious.

"Firefighters arrived on scene within five minutes to find a car on fire in a double garage attached [to a] double-storey residence," a Fire Rescue Victoria spokesperson said.

"Crews, wearing breathing apparatus, contained the fire to the garage. Firefighters checked for fire extension into the property."

In a separate incident, protective services officers arrested a man following a fire in Oakleigh South this morning.

Emergency services were called to reports of a factory fire on Valley Street about 3am.

Victoria Police said the fire caused minor damage to the property and there were no injuries.

A 53-year-old man was arrested at Clayton Railway Station a short time later.

Academic draws link to illegal tobacco crackdown

A series of vehicle and residential firebombings have occurred across Melbourne in recent weeks, with properties in Springvale, Oakleigh East, Reservoir, Taylors Lakes, Maidstone and Keilor targeted.

Earlier this week, a senior detective said Victoria Police was concerned about the attacks and aware of the community's safety concerns.

Premier Ben Carroll also weighed into the issue, labelling arsonists as "adult imbeciles" and meeting with Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush to discuss the attacks.

Deakin University criminologist James Martin said it could be linked to Victoria's crackdown on the sale of illegal tobacco.

"There is a tenuous timing link."

Victoria gave new powers to inspectors and police last month to shutter businesses caught selling illicit tobacco, with 61 stores linked to organised crime since closed for breaches.

Police said this week that in the past four weeks they had seized 2 million cigarettes, more than 40,000 vapes, more than 120 kilograms of loose tobacco and $500,000 in cash.

Dr Martin said enforcement could put pressure on offenders who may want to send a message to people providing information to authorities or who were unwitting participants in a particular trade.

"Or it could be attacks to signal strength or tit-for-tat attacks against rival gangs that might perceive your stores being closed as a potential weakness," he said.