About 13 buildings, sheds, a granny flat and caravan - located on the Brownes Road property where Ms La Frentz lives with her father, Reg Hyde - were destroyed in last year's firestorm.

In October 2013, bushfires burned in Fingal Bay, Salt Ash and Heatherbrae.

The Heatherbrae fire eventually spread to Williamtown, Medowie, Campvale and parts of Raymond Terrace.

Fast forward 12 months, Ms La Frentz's property is still littered with blackened tree stumps and charred building remains.

Work has had to stop on the rebuilding of a burnt laundry and spare room, which had been attached to the main house, because, ironically, of damp conditions this year.

"It looks like a war zone," Ms La Frentz said of her backyard.

She said it had been a hard slog getting to where she and her family were now.

"I'll never come out on top. To me, no amount of money will replace the things I've lost," she said.

While some insurance claims were met, Ms La Frentz was still waiting on other claims to be processed to continue cleaning up and move on to rebuilding.

While she still gets upset talking about the precious items she lost in the fire, including gifts and letters from her late husband, Ms La Frentz said there was light at the end of the tunnel.

Many people affected by the October bushfires have taken to social media to retell their stories, post photos and give thanks.

Plenty of comments have been posted on the Medowie Rural Fire Brigade's Facebook page with the Rural Fire Service unit leading a reflective discussion about what life was like this time last year.