More than 40 homes have been destroyed by bushfire in the Perth Hills region of Western Australia after a blaze tore through the area on Sunday (January 13).

Authorities expect the total number of homes lost to the fire to rise once a total assessment of the area has been carried out, local media reported.

One person is believed to be dead but most residents had fled their homes in time and spent the night in an evacuation centre.

The area remains closed and residents are not expected to be able to return to their properties for several days, Western Australian media reported.