Firefighters battle massive bushfire in Queensland

A wildfire burning which has been several weeks has destroyed nearly half of an Australian island, officials said on Wednesday.

Authorities were investigating the fire on the world heritage listed Fraser Island which has burned over 80-thousand hectares.

More than a million liters of water and fire retardant has been used by firefighters in attempts to tackle it, according to reports in local media.

Queensland state Fire and Emergency Service Assistant Commissioner Andrew Short said authorities were trying to limit the damage.

Short said the "next few days" were critical to "see what the wind does."

"At the moment, we've got moderate winds which are helping us in this work." he said, but he warned that if winds "kick up on the weekend" it may make the fire harder to tackle.

The Queensland state government has ordered a full review of the fire, local media reported.