The economies of fire-affected communities are also suffering as locals funnel their money into meeting their immediate needs and tourism dries up.

Bricks-and-mortar stores might still stand, but these small businesses are not seeing the customers they need to stay afloat.

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Bendigo woman Leah Rinaldi, owner of small business Advantage Self Defence, wanted to do something to help these people and the economies of their communities.

So she started the Facebook group Shop 2 Support Bushfire Communities, which links small businesses in fire-affected communities with potential customers.

The premise for the group is simple: businesses in bushfire-affected communities share their stories, so others can find and buy from them.

Some sell goods and are able to take online orders; others, such as accommodation providers and tourist attractions, are either safe from the fires or ready to take customers once conditions become safer.

"I thought this was a really simple, non-confusing way to help," Leah said.

As she has written in the group's description, there is more to recovering from such devastation than simply addressing the immediate concerns.

"Supporting businesses in affected areas draws money to the town, pays wages, puts food on tables, and the flow on effect means the money goes around the town and continues to support the community," Leah wrote.

Leah's efforts have received a massive response - the group already has more than 8000 members and thousands more approved less than five days after it was established, with interest from across Australia and the world.

Read more on efforts to help:

In just seven minutes on Saturday morning, Leah said, she received 1300 membership requests.

She said the Australian spirit was amazing at times like these.

Leah has taken on volunteer social media liaisons across the country, as well as a business support person to help those in serious need, a technical support person, and someone who is acting as an assistant.

"If I didn't have the team I've got, I wouldn't have slept the last few days," she said.

Originally Leah had planned that anyone could share news of a business doing it tough, but she has since steered the focus towards stories shared directly from business owners.

This gave business owners the chance to see the emotional support from others, she said, through the comments left on their posts.

As momentum grows there are plans to establish a website.

Leah and her team are also working towards supporting volunteers who have left their businesses to fight the fires, as suggested by social media liaison Laura Hill.