Abandoned gym destroyed in blazing red inferno

A huge inferno has engulfed a building in Melbourne overnight, blanketing the suburb of Doncaster in thick black smoke.

Video of the ferocious blaze shows enormous red flames rising from the building, and the thick smoke quickly spreading to nearby streets.

One clip filmed by a resident in the area showed the local Westfield shopping centre – across the road from the blaze - almost completely hidden behind a wall of the smoke.

Fire fighters issued a smoke warning for people in the area, which has since been cancelled.

It took crews an hour to bring the blaze at the two-storey, disused gym under control and successfully prevented the fire from spreading.

The cause of the fire is unknown, but police have established a crime scene and will remain at the gym the throughout the morning.

Fire fighters are also on the scene monitoring the site as it cools.