Security video released of suspected arson attack on boats in Melbourne

Security video obtained by 9NEWS has captured two men suspected of an arson attack on two boats at a pier in Melbourne’s south-east.

The two men are shown arriving at Pompeis Pier at Mordialloc around 4.20am today.

The pair boarded two separate boats for a short amount of time, before disembarking as one of the vessels became engulfed in flames.

Firefighters arrived on the scene shortly after to fight the blaze, which sent smoke billowing to the nearby Nepean Highway.

“The flames were pretty high and it was pretty hot,” Metropolitan Fire Brigade Commander Dan Garret said.

Commander Garret said the fibreglass material of the boats made the fire difficult to control.

“It was hard to get the fibre glass out of these bigger boats… we broke the portholes and put the dry chem through that,” he said.

It took crews 45 minutes to bring the fire under control.

The larger boat became filled with water, while the smaller red runabout sunk to the bottom of the creek.  

Local man Leon Pompei is the owner of the vessels and claims to own the waterway.

Mr Pompei is understood to be at odds with the local council after refusing to sign a new license for use of the pier in April.

Authorities are treating the fire as suspicious and the arson squad is currently investigating the scene.