Firefighters are still battling a wildfire in the Swiss Alps, raging in the Haute-Valais area near the Italian border since yesterday evening.

Nearly 200 people and several helicopters were involved in trying to damp down the wildfire, after the blaze spread rapidly overnight on the mountainside in Bitsch.

Local police shared photographs of the huge inferno ripping through the countryside in the early hours, but the fire appears to have calmed down as of this morning

However, large smoke clouds can still be seen billowing from the forests and authorities have warned it could take days, or even weeks, to fully extinguish.

Many local residents have been evacuated, while those who are still at home have been advised to keep their windows closed to prevent pollution from getting inside.