PERTH - The sky in Perth turned a ghostly orange on Sunday (Jan 14) after a major bushfire blanketed the city with thick smoke.

The bushfire threatened lives and homes in the Mundaring Weir Village, east of Perth, but has since been contained after rain set in on Monday morning (Jan 15), WAtoday reported.

More than 150 firefighters fought the blaze as it burned through (1,200ha) of bushland on Sunday, BBC reported, citing authorities.

The West Australian Department of Fire and Emergency Services posted pictures on its Facebook page of the fire while Perth residents posted images online showing the orange pall of smoke and ash covering the sky.

"Welcome to Perth, home to Armageddon it appears. 37c (98f) with a fire in the hills. It's raining ash," wrote Twitter user Marcus Plato.

On Monday, a storm front moving in from the north is expected to bring cooler temperatures.