Some Connecticut residents can smell the scent of smoke wafting in the air Tuesday as a large wildfire burns just north of the state line in Great Barrington, Mass., officials say.

Smoke from the fire has also been spotted in parts of Connecticut. The smell was evident as far south as the Hamden and West Haven areas.

The smoke is traveling south into Connecticut and may be noticeable to residents in Southington, New Haven and beyond, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

"The current weather conditions are causing smoke to spread widely and stay close to the ground, making it more noticeable," the agency said in a post on social media.

DEEP said local officials are monitoring the situation, but people who are sensitive to smoke should consider staying inside with their windows closed "until conditions improve."

Photos of the Great Barrington fire showed a massive blaze burning on East Mountain. The area sits about a half-hour drive north of North Canaan in northwestern Connecticut.

Several fire departments in Connecticut said on social media that they were aware of the smoke and assured residents there was no cause for alarm.

In Plymouth, the Terryville Volunteer Fire Department said the "strong south-easterly winds" were "blowing heavy smoke and the smell of smoke into the Plymouth area and surrounding towns."

Winchester police said the fire began overnight around midnight.

The fire comes as Connecticut and surrounding states have faced weeks of drought, prompting red flag warnings on several days because of the risk of fire rapidly getting out of control if it starts.

Some relief is in the forecast. Wednesday night should bring the start of a widespread rain event, which should drop an inch or more over Connecticut.

"This won't be a drought buster, but it will help with the drought, as well as the ongoing fire weather issues we've seen for the past month plus," the National Weather Service's New York office said.

"It's not gonna break our drought but it's certainly gonna help," said Brian Ciemnecki, a meteorologist with National Weather Service's New York office. "We need the rain."