A man has been charged following a series of fires set at stalls in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market overnight.

Around 11 pm, four small fires were ignited near food stalls.

CCTV footage shows a man allegedly using a blowtorch to set fire to a tarp covering a fruit juice stall on the Peel Street side of the market. Police allege that he then threatened a member of the public who attempted to extinguish the flames before emergency services arrived.

Although none of the stalls were open at the time, the fires caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage. A 38-year-old man with no fixed address was arrested at the scene and charged with criminal damage by fire and unlawful assault. He has been remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court today. Police are notifying affected stall owners of the damage.

Queen Victoria Market, operating since the 1870s, is renowned for its fresh fruit and vegetable stalls and is the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere.