Insurers have begun fielding calls from policyholders affected by the devastating bushfires that swept through Perth’s eastern suburbs last week.

IAG-owned SGIO, RAC-WA and HBF have began processing claims in the wake of the fires that were allegedly started by an off-duty police officer using a angle grinder near dry grass.

The fires destroyed 72 homes and damaged 32 more in the Perth suburbs of Roleystone and Kelmscott.

The 56-year-old Roleystone-based officer has been charged by summons for carrying out an activity likely to cause a bushfire and faces a possible $25,000 fine or 12 months in jail.

Last Monday the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) declared an insurance catastrophe for the bushfires and established a taskforce to work closely with WA authorities.

ICA has not released an estimate of insured losses.