Vic birthday barbecue goes up in flames

A Melbourne man who got a barbecue for his birthday is spending most of the day in the hospital after setting his house on fire.

The 29-year-old used a piece of paper to light his birthday barbie, then discarded it in the packaging and placed it inside the Macleod house, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade says.

After the box caught fire in a bedroom and caused $40,000 damage to the property the man was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation.