Wildlife saved from WA bushfire

As firefighters battled tirelessly to defend properties from the deadly bushfires in Western Australia's South West, some also took the time to rescue fleeing wildlife.

Volunteer firefighter Alan Roberts spotted an injured and dehydrated possum crossing a road on Saturday and acted quickly to save the animal.

"I was able to get close to him and I used my jacket to throw over him before I could catch him," Mr Roberts told AAP on Monday.

"He was fairly calm. We initially thought he was blind because his eyes were stuck together, but we poured water on him and washed him down."

Mr Roberts said he handed the injured possum to a local farmer, who said she would care for it before transferring the animal to a rehabilitation centre.

The Bunbury volunteer firefighter, who was part of the defence of Yarloop before the town was engulfed by fire on Thursday night, said he and many others worked close to 50 hours over three days and were drinking 10 litres of water per shift.

"It's hard to describe, when you're on the fire front it is really quite hectic so you don't get to think a lot but it was full on," he said.

The bushfire has burnt more than 71,100 hectares, destroying 128 houses and killing two elderly men.