Man breaks window in Vic fire rescue

A courageous neighbour has cut his foot open while kicking in a window to save a woman inside her burning house in Melbourne's southeast.

The Carrum Downs woman was rescued on Thursday after her two smoke detectors failed to alarm her due to flat batteries, according to the Country Fire Authority.

Her saviour used a garden hose to fight the fire, believed to be caused by a candle left on a wooden sideboard, until crews arrived just before 10am.

The blaze was contained to the dining area within five minutes.

"She was blissfully unaware of the fire. Lucky he was there, she's a very lucky bunny," CFA spokesperson Gerard Scholten told AAP.

"The man has seen smoke and run inside the house with a hose."

It followed a house fire in Delahey in Melbourne's northwest on Thursday morning about 4.40am.

The cause of that blaze is unknown.