The man and a woman were cooking at their Scott Parade home when oil on the stove exploded and the kitchen quickly caught alight shortly before 6pm, according to a police spokesperson.

The man suffered major burns to his upper body, head and airways from the cooking fire while the woman suffered burns to her arms.

The couple's 15-year-old neighbour heard the smoke alarm sounding and pulled the injured pair from the house.

Ambulance Victoria reported the man collapsed in front of the home suffering from cardiac arrest and was treated by paramedics.

Ambulance Victoria were preparing to have an air ambulance land in Scott Parade for rapid removal to emergency treatment but at 7.30 pm the pair were transported to the Ballarat base hospital emergency department by road.

The woman has non-life threatening burns and the teenage boy sustained smoke inhalation - both were taken to hospital.

The fire is not being treated as suspicious.

Paramedics, police and firefighters responded to the incident at a home in Brown Hill at 5.53pm on Saturday.

A police spokesperson said it was believed there had been an explosion of cooking oil in the kitchen of the Scott Parade home.

The incident activated the smoke alarm in the house and firefighters attended, but there was no fire.

Paramedics treated the elderly couple at the scene and the air ambulance was called for the male patient who is understood to have suffered an episode relating to a pre-existing health condition.