Deadly WA bushfire forces school closures

Four primary schools in Western Australia's south have been closed for the rest of the week as firefighters tackle deadly blazes around Esperance.

Two men and two women died overnight in a bushfire at Grass Patch and Salmon Gums, while three buildings are believed destroyed along with grain crops and 15,000 livestock.

There's also a separate fire in the Stockyard Creek and Mullet Lakes area, and both were sparked by lightning.

The Salmon Gums fire intensified on Tuesday due to strong winds and extremely hot temperatures, but more favourable weather on Wednesday helped firefighters to contain both blazes, although they are not controlled.

They hope to get on top of the emergency ahead of the weekend, when bad conditions are forecast to return.

In the meantime, primary schools in Scaddan, Grass Patch, Salmon Gums and Cascade will remain closed.

"Principals at these schools have been in touch with parents and have made arrangements for students to attend alternative schools in the short term," the Department of Education said.