At least four people have died in wildfires burning across southwestern Australia that have only been made worse by searing heat.

Those four bodies were recovered from a rural area north of Esperance, where multiple wildfires have been burning since they were sparked by lightning on Sunday, Western Australia police said. Crews discovered the bodies in the small towns of Salmon Gums and Grass Patch, and disaster victim identification officers were heading to the scene to help.

Western Australia Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Wayne Gregson said it's believed two men and two women were killed by the fires, and their bodies may have been found in two vehicles. He said it is not yet known if they burned to death in the fire or if they died in a crash trying to get away from the flames.

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There were no other reports of injuries or missing people, Gregson said. Three buildings were destroyed.

Hundreds of residents have been evacuated and schools were closed as firefighters struggled to contain the blazes, which have been fanned by days of fierce winds and temperatures soaring above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Conditions had improved by Wednesday, with the hot, dry air moving east and out of the region. The temperature was expected to reach just 73 degrees on Wednesday.

The Salmon Gums blaze has burned through 1,100 square miles of land, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said. The area is predominantly agricultural, and is known for its wheat crops.

Mic Fels, a volunteer firefighter and farmer who lives in the Esperance region, said his wife and three children fled their home on Tuesday along with many of his neighbors at the urging of officials. Fels, who has spent 25 years growing wheat, barley and canola at his farm, stayed behind along with a few other residents to try and protect their homes from the advancing blaze. The fast-moving fire came within 15 miles of their neighborhood before a sudden change in wind direction sent it north, toward Salmon Gums.

"We were right in the firing line," Fels said. "We were prepared to just get out of its way if we had to, because in a fire like that you can't try to get in front of it."

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His home spared, Fels was planning to spend the rest of his day helping fight the fires still raging in the area.

"It's going to be a pretty sad time for the community," he said. "The fact that lives have been lost is shattering."

Destructive wildfires are common across much of Australia during the southern hemisphere summer. In 2009, wildfires killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes in Victoria state.

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