Ground crews added to fight Bridal Veil fire

The U.S. Forest Service added ground crews Sunday to battle a fire near Bridal Veil Falls that has already destroyed a deserted restaurant and charred about 40 acres. The fire began late Thursday night.

Forest Service spokesman Larry Lucas said Sunday that a 20-person ground crew was deployed, and an additional Bureau of Land Management "hotshot" crew from Bonneville would be added Sunday afternoon to battle the blaze. Lucas said a brief rainstorm Saturday night aided efforts but did not extinguish the blaze.

"Some rain came through the area last night and definitely helped us, but there's still a lot of fire," Lucas said. "Parts of the fire are burning in heavy-fuel areas that don't go out with just a sprinkle."

Helicopters have been dousing the fire with water since Friday, but Lucas said the decision was made to change their approach as the fire continues to grow. The area where the fire is burning is extremely steep and rugged, Lucas said.

Ground crews are fighting the blaze directly, building fire-lines and directing helicopters to hotspots to control the fire, which Lucas described as 0 percent contained.