Perth wildfire razes 27 homes, one man dead

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A fast-moving wildfire destroyed at least 27 homes in western Australia's Perth, officials said on Monday, with one man dying as he prepared for the approaching inferno.

The blaze, thought to have been started by a fallen power line in the city's wooded outskirts on Sunday, was fanned by hot, strong gusts that saw 20-metre (66-foot) flames tear through residential streets.

The ambulance service said a man, aged 62, had died after collapsing on the roof of his house as he prepared for the oncoming blaze.

Hundreds of residents fled their homes for evacuation centres and were anxiously awaiting news on Monday. Some said they had only seconds to escape.

Officials said the blaze had been contained but not controlled and warned that there was still a risk to life and property if conditions shifted. There were 275 firefighters still battling the flames.

Perth sweltered through a heatwave over the weekend with temperatures reaching 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit).

That heat system is now moving east across the continent, with temperatures in excess of 40 degrees forecast in Adelaide and Melbourne later this week.