Probe as restaurants go up in flames within minutes

Just minutes later, another fire started at an Italian restaurant on Mount Alexander Road in Essendon.

Smoke billowed over the area but firefighters contained the fire to a small section of the venue and stopped it from spreading to a nearby car wash.

No one was inside either restaurant at the time and both were severely damaged by the flames.

Officers have not revealed if they are believed to be linked. 

Both restaurants have been taped off and deemed a crime scene as detectives work to establish the cause of the fires.