Helicopters responding to 5-hectare fire outside Dawson City

Drivers are being warned to be cautious as smoke from Yukon's first wildfire of the season is blowing towards the Klondike Highway near Dawson City.

The wildfire is about five hectares in size, and is burning near the Dempster Highway cutoff.

Drivers on the Klondike Highway may experience delays, depending on the smoke.

Yukon fire information officer George Maratos said there are seven firefighters and two helicopters on the scene.

"The fortunate thing is there is a water source nearby that the helicopters are able to access, so that's what's happening right now," he said.

He said drivers may see smoke and fire activity. Maratos said there is one structure nearby, but it's not in any immediate danger.

He said it's not clear yet how the fire started but it's believed to be human-caused.

Maratos says the fire danger in the Dawson area is moderate, but things are very dry.

Yukon Wildland Fire Management has been releasing updates on Twitter through @YukonWildFire