RESIDENTS from Iluka and Woombah joined forces to say a heartfelt thank you to their local fire crews on Sunday with a special fundraising benefit day.

Organised by the Iluka Golf Club and Iluka Woombah Rotary Club, the community arrived in droves, each keen to shake the hands of those that who worked day and night to protect lives and property from the Myall Creek fire.

"To drive down Iluka Rd and see the devastation the fire caused it's incredible, yet every home was saved. How they did it I'll never know," Iluka resident and event spokesperson Christine Wissink said.

"As a community we just want to think them. We've just been captivated by what they've done."

Iluka RFS captain said the community was very fortunate given the ferocity of the blaze.

"We got the phone call at around 7 o'clock on that day to assist the Woombah crew. I remember at around 9.30pm that night we stopped at the Esk River bridge and you could feel the radiant heat off the fire about a kilometre up. It was like a sunrise on the Esk with the red glow," Mr Nolan said.

"We got out to Shark Bay and all the fire whirls were coming out over the ocean. That was horrific and I hoped to hell it wouldn't come over to Iluka. We were very lucky, very lucky."

Earlier this month, the Lawrence community also thanked their local fire crew with an RFS Christmas ham raffle, raising $2500 for the brigade.

If you would like to donate to your local fire crew, visit https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/support-your-local-brigade and type the name of the brigade when prompted.