The B.C. Wildfire Service is responding to a significant wildfire near what's been called the White Swan Capital of the World.

The Lejac fire is only five kilometres from the Village of Fraser Lake. It's in an area with 170 lakes within an 80-kilometre radius in central B.C.

The fire is believed to be human-caused. In the 2016 census, the village had 988 residents and 551 private dwellings.

On May 4, the Village of Fraser Lake held a Wildfire Community Preparedness Day Workshop.

According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako will be issuing evacuation alerts and orders on its website.

The area is also a temporary home to more than 1,000 Tumpeter swans in the early spring. These giant birds pass through this area on their way to their northern destination in the Whitehorse area in the Yukon.

Update

The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako has declared a state of local emergency.

An evacuation order has been issued for properties south of Highway 16 to the south of Roys Lake and west and east of Seaspunkut.

Update # 2

The fire was 260 hectares at 10:10 a.m. on Sunday (May 12), according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.