A car has been driven into a barbershop in Lalor, Melbourne overnight causing it to catch fire. All residents within the area were forced to evacuate.

The fire started in the Perfection Barbershop at around 1am on Lorne street.

After the fire was extinguished by emergency services, a Mazda was found to have been reversed into the shop through the roller doors and set alight.

The incident is being treated as suspicious by police as the car is suspected to have been set on fire it had been driven into the store.

Luckily none of the residents were in the store at the time. Some of the residents that lived behind the shop were treated by paramedics on the scene for smoke inhalation.

Anybody with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Photo: Supplied by Xavier Rodrigues used with permission