The once-charred paddock was the focal point of firefighting effort in which neighbours and passersby bucketed frantically to keep the flames at bay, emptying Mrs Quigley's swimming pool in the process.

Mrs Quigley said residents continued to count their blessings that a sudden wind change stopped the Narren Warren South blaze, which destroyed six homes, from claiming theirs.

"Without the wind change, we would have lost our house for sure."

Soon after the fire, 75 residents signed a petition calling on the Cranbourne Golf Club to reduce the fire risk to their homes by cutting back trees near their Waverley estate.

Residents felt relieved this summer when the club cleaned out undergrowth and trimmed trees on the long service road to its entrance and cut trees around its perimeter.

"It's a reasonable compromise," Mrs Quigley said

Fellow resident Debbie Dawson, whose husband Steve was part of the bucketing effort, agreed with Mrs Quigley that the near disaster had brought their community closer together. "I think you look out for each other a bit more now," she said.