A body has been found in a shop in Fitzroy, in inner Melbourne, that was completely gutted by fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The blaze at the building on the corner of Brunswick and Westgarth streets started just before 4:00am, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) said.

It is believed the flames spread from the rear of the clothing shop, but the exact cause of the fire is not yet known.

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Arson squad detectives are investigating.

Fire Commander Phil Rogan earlier said crews managed to stop the blaze spreading to adjacent buildings.

“The fire started at the rear, and there’s a substantial amount of damage at the back,” he said.

“The fire just moved forward through the shop and there’s not a lot left, it’s completely gutted from one end to the other.”

Matthew Jens, who lives nearby, says he was ordered to leave his home around 5:00am.

“Police came banging at our door to wake us up, telling us there’s a fire around the corner,” Mr Jens said.

“It’s pretty devastating, you can see the windows all blown out, it’s pretty nasty stuff.”