A woman may lose her eye after she was hit in the face by a firework while celebrating New Year’s Eve at a Melbourne beach.

The 48-year-old was at Altona beach when the illegal firework was lit just after midnight on Monday.

She suffered “very, very serious” facial injuries, mainly to her eye, and was taken to hospital.

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Police arrested a 20-year-old man from Truganina at the scene and he has been released pending further inquiries.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

“We did see a number of fireworks incidents that resulted in some really serious injuries,” Assistant Commissioner Michael Grainger said during a police press conference about New Year’s Eve behaviour on Monday.

“There were a total of 57 illegal fireworks incidents across Victoria overnight and they all varied in severity, but three were particularly concerning.

“We had a 48-year-old woman at Altona receiving very, very serious facial injuries.

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

In another serious firework incident overnight, a 57-year-old woman was taken to hospital after a flare hit the window of her home in Tootgarook.

Police allege her neighbours set off flares and the woman was injured when she attempted to remove the flare in a bid to protect her property.

“There was also a terribly serious fire at a house in Mill Park where at least 15 people have been injured and a number conveyed to hospital and treated for serious injuries,” Grainger said.

The cause of the Mill Park fire is not yet known, but it is not believed to be suspicious.

Anyone with information on any of the incidents is urged to contact police.