A man has been charged after 60 people had to be evacuated from the Box Hill RSL last night because of a fire in a shed next door.

Emergency services were called to the venue on Nelson Road at about 9pm.

Witnesses reported seeing a man running from the scene who matched the description of a person seen earlier at another incident in Malvern earlier in the day.

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In that incident a man walked into a petrol station on Glenferrie Road and emptied a jerry can onto the ground. He then threatened to set fire to the petrol, holding a lit lighter in front of witnesses before fleeing.

A 33-year-old Surrey Hills man has been charged in relation to the incidents as well as another alleged arson in Camberwell on March 24.

He will face the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today.