Tony Abbott fights fires south of Canberra

Tony Abbott has joined volunteers preparing to fight bushfires south of Canberra.

The former prime minister received a briefing at Adaminaby, near the Snowy Mountains, where a fire is burning out of control.

Firefighters are bracing for extreme conditions across Victoria, NSW and the ACT.

"I'm one of 70,000 RFS volunteers - let's hope all of us stay safe and do good work," Mr Abbott told reporters on Friday.

"The fire season has been the same for me as for everyone else, it's been long, it's been arduous."

Hot weather and strong winds threaten to fan existing blazes burning through the Snowy Mountains region.