Wanilla post office operator for nearly 20 years Moyra Nicholson said the community had pulled together and people were remaining positive.

"Now it has rained and the green is coming back things have changed - there's hope now," she said.

"After the fire the community had a tear here and there were just so many people that came (to help).

"It just took something like that to get people back together."

Wanilla resident Marg Murchison said her husband had been able to save their home but much of their property had been destroyed.

"You go outside sometimes and you see something burnt and you think how many years is this going to take?

"But now that it's green you feel like something is going to grow and you feel like getting out in the garden."

Even her daughter Sarah can feel it.

"We're getting a new garden," she said excitedly.