"It's part of the Australian spirit," he said. "If you can help communities out there that are having a different Christmas to rest of the country and make a bit of a difference to them, it makes a huge difference." He said the teams of firefighters were upbeat. "These guys know they have a job ahead of them. They've been working most of the morning and there are still a few more hours to go, but they're not slowing down." The couple will head off on a cruise next week, but Mr Elvidge said they'll be back on the fireground when they return. They are some of the 3500 firefighters spending Christmas Day away from their families.

Almost 200 kilometres to the north-west, the captain of the Ilford and Running Stream RFS brigade, Matt Mord, said Christmas celebrations were a quiet affair at the station. "In a perfect world, they'd [the crews] come back to the shed for lunch, but what happens to the fire when they're gone?" he asked. The Blue Mountains community of Dargan has been significantly damaged by the Gospers Mountain fire. Credit:Wolter Peeters "I want to be home, kicking back and having a beer and a roast, but we don't have a choice because we don't have resources." With crews working up to 20 hours and getting four hours of sleep, Mr Mord said the area desperately needs more support.

He said the past few weeks have taken a toll on the firefighters, many of whom have faced their own devastating losses. "If we don't go out there, no one else will," he said. "You can't tell me they don't have additional resources or people in Australia who could give us help." But it's not just firefighters withholding celebrations. Another Running Stream resident, Darryl Chadwick, will spend the afternoon with friends, drinking a beer or two and devising a strategy ahead of deteriorating fire conditions on Saturday and Sunday. We’re nearly all broke because of the drought, but this is the nail in the coffin. Now we’ve got nothing, it’s all just burnt. Darryl Chadwick

The friends fear that the Palmers Oaky fire could join up with the huge Gospers Mountain fire if easterly winds prevail. Mr Chadwick has been a volunteer with the RFS "since I could walk", but as of Wednesday, he's hung up his hat. He and a few friends made the decision to quit the service because they felt headquarters weren't listening to local captains and crews. Running Stream resident Darryl Chadwick has quit the RFS in frustration. Credit:Seven News "They never come out to the firefront, they carry on with too much political bullshit," he said.

On Sunday afternoon, a fire tore through his 600-hectare property. Loading "We're nearly all broke because of the drought, but this is the nail in the coffin. Now we've got nothing, it's all just burnt," he said. "I sit down everyday and shake my head, it's unbelievable." Bilpin Fruit Bowl owner Margaret Tadrosse, who lost a significant portion of her property on Saturday said Wednesday didn't feel like Christmas.