Para-athlete Cameron Crombie on sidelines for Braidwood fire battle

The Canberra-based para-athlete is also a volunteer firefighter but an elbow surgery has prevented him from joining his mates who are doing it tough across the border.

Homes have been lost as the Currowan bushfire burns on the South Coast, while parts of the King Highway were closed due a fire west of Braidwood on Saturday.

Moments like these have Crombie wishing he could pull on his uniform and stand side-by-side with his firefighting colleagues.

"It's been tough because I really wanted to get out there and help them out. I know a lot of guys who are doing double shifts and having to stretch things out pretty thin," Crombie said.

"We're a very active brigade and I think the Molonglo Brigade itself has had crews out there in almost every shift since the Braidwood fires.

"It's tough to sit on the sidelines knowing if I was fit and didn't have this surgery then I'd be able to get out there and help out but thankfully there's always things to do.

"It'll be a long summer so I'm sure I'll get my fair fill over the next few months when I can but for now, I'm trying to support on the ground at an non-operational level as well as I can."

MORE CANBERRA SPORT

The F38 shot put world champion has been working as a peer-support officer as part of an ACT Rural Fire Service initiative to have first-aid counselling in the capital.

Crombie has provided support to returning firefighters who have come off fire-grounds across NSW to the Queensland border.

The 33-year-old para-athlete says the most difficult part of their battle to contain the fires has been the relentlessly dry and severe weather conditions.

"We train enough so they have the skills to be able to deal with almost anything that comes at us," Crombie said.

"I think the worst thing for firefighters so far has been the severe weather conditions.

"Somethings are out of the firefighters control and that's the weather; the high temperatures, the strong gusting winds, that kind of stuff really wreaks havoc.

"That just requires boots on the ground and air craft in the air. It's a shame not being able to get out and help with that."

Crombie had the bone spurs removed from his elbow two weeks ago, just days after winning the F38 gold at the world para athletics championships.

He's set to begin strengthening and conditioning training on Monday, before focusing on his javelin preparations for the Tokyo Paralympics.

The expected recovery is six to eight weeks so he should be ready and raring to go for the Paralympic qualifiers next year.

"It'll be a good time for us over Christmas to knuckle down on the fitness side of things and so when we are ready to throw, we're ready to throw and do something big," Crombie said.

"We can qualify anytime between now and the end of the qualification period, which is around July. That'll open up the Australian summer to us.

"Our big benchmark event will be the Australian national championships in March, so by then we should be fully fit and throwing.

"All eyes are on Toyko for now. In all seriousness, we're expecting to get there."