Several homes have been lost and lives are in danger as firefighters and air tankers battle an out-of-control blaze in Perth’s eastern suburbs.

An emergency warning was issued for the suburb of Parkerville on Thursday afternoon, covering an area bounded by Boyamyne, Granite Road, Dartnall and Brooking roads in the Shire of Mundaring.

“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive,” the alert issued on Thursday said.

“There is a threat to lives and homes.”

The bushfire is moving in a westerly direction and is “unpredictable”.

WA’s Department of Fire and Emergency confirmed on Thursday afternoon that some houses had been lost to the blaze. One resident told Network Ten that he believe his daughter’s home was among them, while television footage appeared to show flames and smoke billowing from at least one property.

“It is escalating at the moment,” DFES Commissioner Darren Klemm said.

“We know that Parkerville is an area where we’ve had significant fires before, including loss of home so the concern level is very high.”

An evacuation centre has been opened at Brown Park on Salisbury Road, Swan View.

Power has been cut to more than 150 properties and roads in and out of the densely wooded area have been closed.

Premier Roger Cook said was a “troubling situation” and the weather was being “very unkind” to firefighters battling the blaze.

“We all have grave concerns for the fire and in Parkerville and our hearts go out to all those people who are involved in in that incident,” he said.

A second blaze in WA’s south-west continued to test fire crews in hot, dry and windy conditions on Thursday.

An emergency warning is current for the Shire of Manjimup in the state’s southwest for Callcup, Crowea and Meerup.

Residents there have also been warned there is a threat to their lives and properties.

“Unfortunately this bushfire breached containment lines last night under really strong easterly winds, and the fire escalated significantly,” Klemm said.

“It is burning in some very dense old-growth forest and this fire could continue and we’re expecting it to continue for the next several days.”

That bushfire is out of control and moving in a westerly direction.

“We know that today’s going to be a particularly difficult day expecting … those strong easterly winds again, but also thunderstorm activity across large parts of the state,” Klemm said.

There was an emergency warning for the Shire of Manjimup in the state’s south-west for Callcup, Crowea and Meerup after a fire broke containment lines on Thursday morning.

Residents there have also been warned there is a threat to their lives and properties.

The alert was in covered the area bounded by Gumnut, Richardson and Lewis roads and Warren Beach Track in the south, Tattenham Road and Pemberton-Northcliffe Road in the east, Barker and Larkin roads to Larkin Bridge in the north, then south-west to the properties along the Warren River, including the Colonels to the coast.

That bushfire was out of control and moving in a westerly direction.

Meanwhile, the fire threat eased in the Wheatbelt, with an emergency warning for parts of West Toodyay, Coondle and Julimar in the Shire of Toodyay downgraded to a watch and act.

That fire is controlled and stationary but not controlled.

An evacuation centre has been set up at Toodyay Memorial Hall and a community meeting scheduled for 11am AWST on Thursday.

Residents have been told it is still not safe to return to their homes.

Elsewhere, a bushfire that had been burning towards the fishing town of Lancelin, 126 kilometres north of Perth, was declared contained and controlled early on Thursday morning.

The single road in and out of the town was reopened, with emergency services escorting vehicles through the fireground.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned fresh easterly winds and dry conditions would lead to elevated fire dangers.

“There is also the risk of high-based thunderstorms with dry lightning, exacerbating the fire dangers,” the alert said.

There were total fire bans for the Perth metropolitan, Goldfields Midlands and south-west districts on Thursday.

-with AAP