Australia has been battling hundreds of blazes since September in an unusually prolonged summer wildfire season that was fuelled by three years of drought.

Australia has been battling hundreds of blazes since September in an unusually prolonged summer wildfire season that was fueled by three years of drought, which experts have attributed to climate change.

At 1 p.m. AWST, Damien was a Category 3 storm, expecting to bring winds with gusts up to 220 kilometres per hour near its centre when crossing the coast later on Saturday, the Bureau of Meteorology in Western Australia said.

Firefighters can’t contain major blazes across the southeast without heavy rain.

Bega Valley Mayor Kristy McBain said damage in her region 240 kilometers south of Canberra had yet to be assessed by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.

Wildfires burned out of control near Australia’s national capital, Canberra, and across surrounding New South Wales state on Saturday, with endangered residents warned to prepare to evacuate.

Marc Gamache, who works as a wildfire technologist for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, arrived in New South Wales at the beginning of the month.

"If I didn't do it then, I thought I never would, so yeah, [I] bought the ticket," Dan Derouin said.

The Canadian Forces say a CC-17 Globemaster is leaving Monday.

The Australia Bushfire Relief Benefit Concert is set to take place on Sunday at 5 p.m.