Arson squad detectives are investigating after a petrol tanker exploded early this morning, amid speculation it may have been caused by lightning.
The driver suffered burns and two cars were set alight when the tanker detonated in Melbourne's south-east.
Fire crews arrived at the petrol station in Stud Road, Rowville, at about 1am (AEDT) to find the tanker ablaze.
Another wall of flame up to 150 metres long, caused by leaked fuel, also burnt down the driveway of a nearby hotel, igniting two parked cars.
"There was another car trying to escape the flames that crashed into a tree, but I believe there wasn't anyone injured in that," Country Fire Authority (CFA) deputy group officer Peter Shaw said.
The driver of the petrol tanker was taken to hospital with burns to his arms and legs.
The Stanford Hotel next door to the petrol station was also evacuated during the incident.
Crews used foam on the fuel fire, which took about an hour to control.
There was a fierce electrical storm with frequent lightning at the time of the incident, but it is not known if this sparked the blaze.
Police, CFA investigators and WorkSafe personnel are now on the scene examining the cause of the explosion.
Crews have started to remove the remaining fuel from the tanker, which has sustained a large hole in one of its tanks.
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