The before-and-after images are absolutely shocking.

Fraser Island – the pristine, World Heritage-listed ecological treasure off the southern Queensland coast, home to 30 mammal species and 354 types of birds – has been under attack by bushfires sparked by an illegal campfire since mid-October.

More than half the island has burned (the northern half), as these before-and-after satellite images show.

Image: Visible satellite images of Fraser Island on November 5 (top) and December 5 (bottom). Source: NASA Worldview

Locals breathed half a sigh of relief on Monday night, when 11 mm of rain fell on Monday night at Hervey Bay - the closest weather station to K'gari.

However, that wasn't enough to make much of a difference to the fire. Indeed, the wind change associated with the rain fanned flames towards Kingfisher Bay Resort and village, before water-bombing efforts eased the danger.

Fraser Island residents may again be tantalised but ultimately disappointed this weekend.

While significant rain is expected to develop along parts of the Queensland and NSW coast from this weekend, it appears that the heaviest falls will be south of Fraser Island.

Image: Beautiful one day, scorched the next. Source: @natalie_loadsman on Instagram.

"The rain forecast for the Fraser coast from this Saturday into the new week will help the situation, though it may not be enough to completely put the fires out," Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said.

South East Queensland has experienced serious and even severe rainfall deficiencies for eight months now. November was another dry month across that corner of the Sunshine State - with the Fraser Coast no exception.

Indeed, SEQ has been among the driest areas in Australia (relative to its normal rainfall) for much of 2020, creating the pefect conditions for the inferno scorching the world's largest sand island, which is also known by its indigenous name of K'gari.