Out-of-control bushfire destroys 95 homes and leaves trail of devastation near Perth

A raging bushfire has burnt through an historic town in Western Australia, destroying 95 homes and leaving three people missing.

The out-of-control blaze 110km (68m) south of Perth more than doubled in size in 24 hours and has now burned through 53,000 hectares (130,000 acres), with a third of the town of Yarloop destroyed.

"I believe we've had what I would suggest [are] catastrophic losses within Yarloop," the state's Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Wayne Gregson told reporters.

"It appears that we've lost around 95 houses, a number of structures within the town site including some of the historical buildings."

Yarloop has a population of 500-600 with an estimated 250 homes.

Yarloop resident Ron Sackville said there was "very little" left.

"I look around 360 degrees and everything is burnt to a cinder. The fire was horrendous," he said.

Another resident described the overnight emergency, initially triggered by a lightning strike, as like the town was being hit by "fireballs".

"It was crazy. One fireball after another. The wind... it was unbelievable," Alex Jovanovich told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"It's devastating," he said of the damage.

"There's bugger all left. The hall is gone. I believe the pub's gone. The workshops are gone. The old hospital is gone. I think the church is gone."

Hundreds of fire fighters were battling the blaze, which has prompted evacuations and an emergency warning for nearby towns and surrounding areas.