A huge fire at a luxury beach resort in the Dominican Republic killed one woman and forced nearly 1,700 guests to be evacuated on Friday.

In a statement to local media, the DAEH emergency services said that a 46-year-old Italian tourist died, three people were taken to medical facilities and six others were treated on site.

Drone footage shows how widespread the fire was, with buildings spanning the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach in Bayahibe on fire and thick black smoke billowing into the air.

What sparked the early-morning blaze is not yet known, but an initial investigation found the flames spread quickly due to wind conditions and the flammable nature of the thatched roofs on some buildings.

The country's Emergency Operations Center (COE) said the fire had been brought under control and guests had been moved to other hotels.

It added that tourist activities in the town and surrounding area have been unaffected and can continue as normal.

Italian news agency Ansa reported that the Italian ambassador to the Dominican Republic met the deceased woman's husband at the hospital she had been taken to. The embassy is helping around 285 Italian tourists who were staying at the resort or nearby, issuing emergency passports to those whose travel documents were destroyed in the fire and arranging flights home.

Bayahibe, a popular resort town on the Caribbean coast, is known for its clear blue waters and sandy beaches.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which franchises about 8,400 hotels around the world, has been contacted for comment.