Elderly man killed in Melbourne house fire

An elderly man described as a possible hoarder has died in a house fire in suburban Melbourne.

Investigators are yet to determine the cause of the fire that started about 10pm on Wednesday night on Mountain View Road, Briar Hill, and firefighters have initially deemed it suspicious.

The MFB was called to the property and told a elderly man who was a possible hoarder lived at the home.

Due to the ferocity of the fire, MFB and CFA crews were initially unable to enter the building to conduct an internal search.

The rear of the single-storey, asbestos weatherboard home collapsed during the firefighting efforts.

It was declared under control at 10.46pm, but firefighters were still unable to enter the building at that stage due to its structural integrity.

Crews eventually found the dead man inside.

The MFB says it attends an incident involving hoarding or squalor every six days on average, with the conditions creating high fuel loads.

Mountain View Road will remain closed between Sherbourne Road and Fernside Avenue while police and fire investigators examine the scene.