Woman under police guard after Vic fire

A woman is under police guard in hospital after a suspicious house fire in Melbourne that has left a severely burnt man clinging to life.

Emergency services rescued the 49-year-old man from a home at the northeast suburb of Macleod, about 6am on Wednesday.

He has severe burns to his hands, feet and face and was rushed to the Alfred Hospital in a critical condition.

An 11-year-old boy who was also home at the time was taken to the Austin Hospital for observation, after being assessed at the scene for smoke inhalation.

A 36-year-old Macleod woman is under police guard in hospital, police said in a statement.

Investigators are yet to establish exact circumstances surrounding the fire, but it's believed to be suspicious.