A man has been pulled free from his home as a fire engulfed the property on Christmas morning.
The blaze broke out in the single-storey brick home in Whittlesea, north of Melbourne, about 5.30am on Wednesday.
A passer-by noticed smoke and flames and pulled a man in his 70s to safety, a CFA spokesman said.
He was the only person inside the home.
Paramedics treated him for smoke inhalation and he was taken to hospital in a stable condition, an Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said.
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About 30 firefighters had the blaze under control in 40 minutes, but the home couldn't be saved.
Investigators will probe the fire to find the cause.
