Members of a family were woken by neighbours alerting them to fire spreading from a fire pit to their home in Geelong West overnight.
A man tried who tried to put out the fire received injuries to his arms and legs. He was taken to hospital.
Fire damaged the side of the house and part of the roof before firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze.
District 7 Operation Officer Archie Conroy said it was a reminder to take care around any fire.
"The family had gone to bed without putting the fire pit out, which is against regulations," Mr Conroy said.
"Always have a responsible adult in attendance when using these sorts of backyard amenities. Keep three metres clear of these fires and always have at least 10 litres of water on hand to extinguish it."
Crews from Geelong City, Geelong West and Corio attended.