Footy player raises the alarm after massive Adelaide fire

Police believe an arsonist could be responsible for a fierce fire that destroyed a travel agency and significantly damaged two other business in Adelaide.

The intense blaze erupted just after 3am on Unley Road at Parkside.. 

Firefighters battled blaze for almost 30 minutes before it was brought under control.  

Metropolitan Fire Service Station Office David Kubler said initially there were also fears for nearby homes. 

"It was very hot, very intense, we had a lot of flames and glass present and we had to very careful," he said. 

The travel agency, Inflight Travel has been operating for 25 years at the site. Staff arrived throughout the morning after hearing about the blaze.

"There's just so much information in there that we've lost, I don't even know where we're going to start, it's devastating," Inflight Travel employee Peter Sfyrios said.

It was a Sturt Football player, Mathew Crocker walking home after premiership celebrations who first saw the blaze and called triple zero. 

"It was the glow that was the biggest thing, then the heat, the heat was really quite strong, I was running down the side and I could feel it, it was strong," Crocker said.

Detectives have launched a major investigation and are appealing for witnesses.