Helicopters have dumped water on the Bridal Veil Falls fire for nearly two weeks, but the blaze will likely continue to burn until Mother Nature joins them.

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Kim Osborn said the fire will probably not be completely extinguished until the area gets some rain. Two helicopters are still pulling water from the Provo River, but because the terrain is so steep and rugged, some burning areas are inaccessible to them.

"People can expect to ... probably still see some smoke up there," Osborn said. The fire will keep burning "probably until we get some really, really good rain, because there's areas in there we can't get to."

The fire hasn't spread since burning 240 acres in the days after Pioneer Day, but there is plenty of unburned vegetation within that perimeter, Osborn said. If the rain doesn't come, the blaze will probably continue until it consumes most of the remaining trees and plants in the burn area.

Firefighters initially thought the fire would be contained by July 26, but thunderstorms brought gusting winds that blew burning embers into the trees. After the fire was contained to the 240-acre burn area, the blaze flared up again over the weekend in several stands of spruce trees.

The same terrain that has made life difficult for helicopters made it nearly impossible for the Forest Service to put firefighters on the ground. With the helicopters encountering difficulties as well, Osborn said the Forest Service would probably just continue to monitor the area to make sure the fire doesn't spread.

The trail between Vivian Park and Nunn's Park remains closed due to the threat of the helicopters inadvertently blowing rocks down from the cliffs above the river.

The fire began in the abandoned Bridal Veil Falls Restaurant. The Forest Service said the fire was human-caused, but investigators have not yet determined whether it was accidental or arson.

• Jeremy Duda can be reached at 344-2561 or jduda@heraldextra.com.