Volunteers have begun clearing debris from the Garden of Earthly Delights in Hackney Central after a fire destroyed several structures at the community garden last month.
The blaze broke out at around 10.30pm on Wednesday 23 September at the garden on Graham Road.
Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from Homerton, Bethnal Green and Stoke Newington fire stations attended, and the fire was under control by 11.57pm.
Nearby residents were evacuated, but no injuries were reported.
London Fire Brigade said the fire is believed to have been accidental, most likely caused by an electrical fault in an electricity meter.
The garden's water system and compost toilet were destroyed, along with the Woodshop of Recycled Delights, its carpentry workshop, and several growing plots. A shed on the site was partly damaged.
A fundraiser launched after the fire had raised almost £4,000 of its £12,000 target at time of publication, and the money is already being used to help repair the garden.
Harry Morgan, 34, a member of the garden's core team, told the Citizen: "This fire has been an absolutely huge tragedy, you know? And really devastating for lots of people."
Around 20 volunteers cleared debris from the site and loaded it into a skip.
One of them, Harriet Crisp, 31, has been coming to the garden for more than a year.
She said: "My positive outlook is that this will bring more awareness to the garden, and more people will know about it and see this as an important space."
She said the garden had been an important place for her to put down roots and get involved in the city's community again after some time away.
The garden was set up by Extinction Rebellion activists in 2019. It later moved to its current site at 161 Graham Road, on council land offered on a temporary basis while a permanent use for the site is decided.
It is usually home to a range of groups, hosting eco-therapy sessions, choirs, drawing workshops and other activities.
Since the fire, eight events usually held at the garden have been cancelled. No new dates have been set because of safety concerns.
A large share of the money raised will go towards replacing the woodshop, which teaches residents carpentry and how to use tools. That includes the structure itself and the hand tools and materials that were destroyed.
The compost toilet replaced the garden's basic bucket toilet and was paid for through a crowdfunder last year. It is expected to cost around £2,500 to replace.
The rest of the money will go towards the water system and wider repairs to the garden.
Deba Salim, also a member of the core team, said the garden had planned to extend its opening hours before the fire. It is now unclear when that can happen, as volunteers focus on clearing the damage and making the site safe.
Morgan said: "The main question everyone is asking is when are you going to rebuild, when are you going to build it back? When are you going to start again? But we just can't go there yet.
"Whatever we do next, we need to make sure that caring for everyone and the safety of it is the absolute utmost concern."
