Perth mum dies after house fire

An elderly Perth man has described the sound of a neighbour burning to death during a house fire as the worst thing he has experienced in his life.

The unidentified woman, believed to be in her 30s, caught alight at her home in Byford yesterday morning.

Neighbour George Mostert, 78, told WA Today he and some removalists working nearby ran to her home when they heard screams.

"When I got there, the flames on her clothing were about a metre high," he said.

"That's the worst thing I've seen in nearly 80 years."

The woman could not be saved.

She is believed to be the mother of a small child.

Fire crews extinguished the blaze within 20 minutes.

Arson detectives are investigating the cause of the fire.