Investigations underway into East Melbourne Greek Orthodox church blaze

Authorities are investigating the cause of a blaze that tore through a Greek Orthodox church in East Melbourne at around 1.30pm today.

The fire started at the Holy Church of ‘The Annunciation of Our Lady’ – one of Victoria’s oldest Greek Orthodox churches – located on the corner of Victoria Parade and Lansdowne Street.

Incident controller Marty Braid confirmed no one was in the heritage-listed church at the time.

The fire appeared to have started on the mezzanine level of the church and was fuelled by the presence of lacquered timber.

Investigations are currently underway as to the cause of the blaze, which has left churchgoers with nowhere to go.

It comes after the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Resurrection in Sydney's south was gutted by fire on Sunday night, in the hours following Easter celebrations.