Residents of Monaco and neighbouring communities have noticed the smell of woodsmoke in recent days, as a fire inland from Ventimiglia has sent smoke across the border from Liguria.

The fire on Monte Pozzo was apparently started by a lighting strike hitting a tree. Fire-fighting aircraft were used on Tuesday in an effort to extinguish the flames, but the fire was still burning on Wednesday, fanned by the wind, according to Riviera24, a local Italian media outlet.

More attempts were made on Wednesday to deal with the blaze, which so far has affected a hard to access and largely uninhabited rural area. There are no reports of damage to property.

PHOTO: The fire above Ventimiglia Courtesy sanremonews.it