A man is in a critical condition after being shot by police attending a house fire.

The 39-year-old was rushed to hospital after being shot and wounded in the backyard of a Wynnum West property in Brisbane’s east on Tuesday.

Three officers arrived at the Cabanda Street address about 9.20am, responding within minutes to reports of a fire.

The man was shot following an interaction with the officers, police said.

“Our officers were confronted with a situation which required them to use a use of force adequate for the situation they were confronted with,” Acting Chief Superintendent Heath McQueen told reporters.

The man received medical assistance at the scene and was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital for treatment.

Multiple people were at the address at the time of the fire, police said, but no officers or other members of the public were injured during the incident.

“There is no risk to public safety,” a police statement said.

Police said they were not investigating domestic violence as part of the incident.

Specifics of the incident were not provided by police when addressing media on Tuesday due to an ongoing Ethical Standards Command investigation, which is subject to oversight by the Crime and Corruption Commission.

-AAP