PERTH – Fire-ravaged communities in the south-west of Western Australia may have won a reprieve from the flames that have claimed two lives and destroyed a whole town.

Emergency warnings remain in place for several towns but conditions eased overnight on Saturday, and meteorologists said the weather was looking much better than in recent days, when high winds and soaring temperature fuelled the flames. The weather had cooled yesterday morning, with storms passing through the area forecast to bring some rain.

Officials confirmed the bushfire, which had been raging for four days claimed its first lives, while two other people were still unaccounted for.

Police said human remains were found in burnt-out homes in the town of Yarloop, which was virtually wiped off the map on Thursday.

The remains are believed to be those of two men aged 77 and 73.

The massive bushfire destroyed most of the buildings in Yarloop — emergency services have updated the number of properties destroyed to 143. The fire, which started on Wednesday, has so far burnt through more than 70,000 hectares and was moving slowly south.