ELY, Minn. — A forest fire is now spreading outside the borders of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area near Ely and getting closer to homes and cabins.

The Pagami Creek forest fire has more than tripled in size since Sunday and has grown to cover more than 16,000 acres.

The smell of smoke from the fire was evident this morning in Oshkosh. The Oshkosh Area School District reported that due to the air quality in Oshkosh students will remain indoors today.