Apart from the man taken to hospital, 10 people at the scene were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Four others were assessed at the scene.

Fire Rescue Victoria said the blaze was out once three crews arrived, but firefighters stayed to help paramedics at the “significant” incident. Ambulance Victoria said patients were transported to The Alfred and Northern Hospital.

In Tootgarook, John Croft, a 38-year-old carpenter, pulled a woman from a house fire. He was initially filming firecrackers on Alma Street around midnight before the fire broke out.

“Everything was all good, then one shot off a bit low. Then seconds later, the lady [was] screaming and all of a sudden, all hell broke loose,” Croft told 3AW.

“I ended up running across the road down to where the firework was. The front bedroom of the house was almost fully engulfed. The lady [was] at the front window screaming out for help.

“So I ended up picking up a brick ... and smashing the window out [before] dragging her out through the glass.”

Grainger said emergency services were called to the home just after midnight, and took a 57-year-old woman to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

“We will allege some neighbours let go of flares, and in an effort to recover those flares and look after her property, she was injured,” he said.

Croft, whose parents live on the street, said the woman may have suffered burns after her bedroom “went up in seconds”. He suffered cuts from the glass.

“It has sort of sunk in now, really,” Croft said. “I didn’t really think nothing last night. But now I’m a bit shaken, a little bit. But we’ll be right.”

A fire service communications controller, speaking on behalf of the CFA on Monday, said about a dozen firefighters brought the blaze under control at 12.17am. Croft said the house was “a write-off”.

Grainger said a 48-year-old woman suffered serious facial injuries after a firework struck her in the face in Altona.

“An illicit firework exploded, and she may lose an eye,” he said.

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A 20-year-old Truganina man was arrested, but released pending further inquiries.

Despite the incidents, Grainger thanked New Year’s crowds across the state for generally working well with local police for a “safe and happy evening”. He noted police completed 3687 wand searches, but found only a little more than two dozen weapons among large crowds in Melbourne CBD and across regional Victoria.

However, he said two stabbings occurred – including a glassing on Flinders Street that seriously injured a man in his 50s about 11.15pm.

Early on New Year’s Day, a 76-year-old man was allegedly assaulted on Bay Street in Brighton when he checked on a 29-year-old who was unconscious on a nature strip and then became aggressive. Police said the agitated man then smashed the window of a house and was arrested before 7am. Both men were taken to hospital.

Assistant Commissioner Grainger said a car also crashed into a tree in south-west Victoria, injuring four people. Police conducted 3627 preliminary breath and roadside drug tests, nabbing four people for drink-driving, along with 15 drug-affected drivers.

Grainger also cautioned Victorians about fire dangers.

“I think it’s timely at this time of year as we head into the warmer months in Victoria, to remind people that playing with fire – whether it be fireworks or other items that cause fire – can be incredibly dangerous,” he said.

“We saw some serious injuries tonight. We also saw a number of grass fires started with illegal fireworks.”

Hordes descended on Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations after the midnight fireworks as hundreds of thousands of punters in the CBD tried to get home. All other CBD stations were closed just before midnight as a “crowd-control measure”, according to the City of Melbourne.

Deputy Premier Ben Carroll said on Monday he was “very pleased” Metro Trains staff and police “[ensured] that our public transport system ran safely and securely”. He said Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams would work to identify improvements for next year.

Sunday night also marked the first New Year’s Eve since the repeal of public drunkenness laws in Victoria in November.

Ten vans with teams from community health organisation co-health were rostered on to deal with instances of public drunkenness and to transport people in need back home, or to a newly opened 24/7 sobering-up centre in Collingwood, according to a government spokesman.

Carroll said there was only one call to emergency services about public intoxication.

Thousands of police officers were rostered across the state. Melbourne’s CBD, the St Kilda foreshore and the Geelong CBD were designated areas under the Control of Weapons Act, giving police stop-and-search powers.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au