Suspicious fire engulfs fourth Melbourne church in a week

A fourth Melbourne church in a week has been set alight in suspicious circumstances.

Police are investigating a fire at a church on Doncaster Rd in Doncaster East after witnesses saw smoke coming from it at 2.30pm on Good Friday.

The blaze was contained to a small area of the building.

Detectives have not determined the exact cause of the fire, but are treating it as suspicious.

Three other churches had fires this week, with all three connected to notorious pedophiles.

St James Church in Brighton was destroyed, while St Mary's in St Kilda East and St Mary's Catholic Church in Dandenong had minor damage.