France, Feb. 15 -- Amsterdam Island - part of France's Southern and Antarctic Lands in the Indian Ocean - has seen more than half its territory hit by a wildfire that started in late January. Officials are yet to evaluate the damage to the island, which is a haven of biodiversity and home to one of the world's only sites for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions.

Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, approximately 2,800 kilometres southeast of the French overseas territory of Reunion Island, Amsterdam Island is one of the most isolated places in the world.

With a surface area of 58 square kilometres, it is a haven for wildlife and home to theMartin-de-Vivies scientific station, a crucial site for monitoring greenhouse gas concentrati...