Firefighters were confronted with 50 gallons of burning cooking oil in a blaze at a Brighton pizza restaurant.
Flames had climbed the walls at the rear of the building and spread to ten drums of waste oil when they arrived.
The blaze caused severe damage to the rear of Deep Pan Pizza in North Street, Brighton, and at least £2,500 of damage to equipment.
Sub Officer Steve Tomlin, from Preston Circus fire station, said the blaze started in a wheelie bin next to the drums of oil.
He said the oil was already burning fiercely when fire crews arrived shortly after 7am today.
Restaurant manager Omar Gadah said electricians would inspect the damage and if everything was safe the restaurant would open as normal.
He said: "I think it is vandalism. Somebody set the bins on fire."
The cause of blaze is being investigated.
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