BREAKING NEWS Northland Shopping Centre is evacuated AGAIN after fire erupts inside a busy store - just hours after a car smashed into the building
A doomed shopping centre is being evacuated after a fire broke out in a store less than 24 hours after a vehicle smashed into the building and terrified shoppers.
Shoppers were seen fleeing Northland Shopping Centre, 15km north of Melbourne 's CBD, after smoke was seen coming from Myer on Thursday morning.
A Fire Rescue Victoria spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia an automatic alarm at the Myer store went off at 10.34am and one fire truck was currently on the scene.
Fire crews found small fire in an electrical light and the issue should be resolved soon.
It came just hours after a man allegedly drove a stolen Toyota Landcruiser into the crowded shopping centre just after 4pm on Wednesday.
The man was filmed driving the white Landcruiser into the building in an alleged effort to evade police officers.
Footage showed the vehicle smashing into the shopping centre and breaking through doors as shoppers desperately took cover.
The driver allegedly rammed a police vehicle several times.
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'Thankfully, no one was struck by the car and there are no reported injuries,' police said in a statement.
Paramedics also rushed to the centre, Ambulance Victoria said in a statement.
'Two people were assessed at the scene but did not require transport to hospital,' a spokesperson said.
Witness Tanya Nava was working in Kmart when the incident occurred.
'Everyone was just in a panic,' she told Today.
'A young girl runs up to me and she goes, "Oh, there's a car in the shopping centre". And we just all went "oh my god", and then everyone was just freaking out.'
Police found the car dumped on Beavers Road in Northcote about an hour later.
A 27-year-old man was arrested at a home at 8.30am on Thursday.
The man is being interviewed by detectives and no charges have been laid.
Police will allege the LandCruiser was stolen from Ivanhoe East on June 2, using an 'electronic key reprogramming tool' seized during Thursday's arrest.
It came just three weeks after Northland Shopping Centre was plunged into lockdown following an alleged fight between teens armed with machetes.
Shoppers were reassured security would be increased following the incident.
'We continue to work with the Victorian Police, with increased security and police presence in centre over the coming days,' the centre said.
'We understand the incident that took place at our centre was distressing, and we want to reassure our community that we are taking this matter seriously.'
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