Bakery gutted by fire in South Melbourne

A bakery café has been destroyed by a powerful blaze in South Melbourne.

Emergency services were called to the two-storey building on Montague Street just before 7.30pm last night.

The bakery café was engulfed in smoke and flames when fire crews arrived, a Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) spokesperson said.  

“There was a significant amount of smoke both downstairs and upstairs,” a fireman told 9NEWS earlier today.

Firefighters wore breathing apparatus to contain the fire to the ground floor, which took almost an hour.

The building adjoining the café sustained slight damage.

A community warning was issued due to heavy smoke in the area.

Investigations into the cause of the blaze are ongoing.