When seven-year-old Pema Hack's town was almost destroyed in a Victorian bushfire she started writing a book about it.
That book has now sold 250 copies, raised more than $3500 for her local fire brigade, and is into its second print run.
"The Christmas Day Fire" is about the destruction of the Great Ocean Road towns of Wye River and Separation Creek, which lost more than 100 homes between them in the blaze.
"I didn't know it was going to be like a published book, I just thought 'oh I'm going to write a book about this'," Pema told AAP on Wednesday.
"I started on Christmas Day with a notebook that was a present from my cousin."
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Pema stayed in the Wye River Surf Club on Christmas night as the bushfire ringed the hills around her, and she remembers having to put her mask and goggles on when firefighters thought the blaze would hit the club.
Her uncle "does books" so he organised for Pema and her brother Juna's writings and drawings from the night to be collected with some photos of the fire and printed up.
Pema has written about meeting Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Premier Daniel Andrews ("very nice people") and what it was like when the evacuation order was issued on Christmas Day.
Dad Andrew Hack said the book sold well at a local book launch and Easter fete to raise money for the local CFA brigade.
"Having little gatherings where people can get together and have an excuse to have a chat and enjoy each other's company is important (for the recovery)," Mr Hack told AAP.
Mr Hack said there were some frustrations about how long it was taking to rebuild.
"It's going to be a really slow process and I think people are understandably struggling with that," he said.
The book can be ordered at wyerivercfa@outlook.com and all proceeds will go to the Wye River CFA brigade.
