Fire crews hope rain slows Venado Fire

The pesky Venado Fire continues to challenge firefighters in the Jemez Mountains.

The U.S. Forest Service said the fire grew to 2,500 acres Tuesday, though rain had begun to fall in the area Tuesday evening and resources were pulled from the area due to weather safety concerns.

“Our hope is it’ll deliver enough rain to help clear the fire,” said Forest Service spokesman Bruce Hill from the Jemez Springs area. “It’s raining pretty good here in the Jemez.”

Hill said while there are personnel monitoring the fire, they will not know the effect of the precipitation until Wednesday. However, Hill said the increased moisture will hopefully prevent further spread and decrease the fire’s heat.

The blaze spawned small spot fires over the northern containment boundary, reaching a previously thinned 1,500 acres where fuels are piled as part of a forest restoration project, according to the Forest Service. Crews are focused on limiting the fire’s effect in the Joaquin Canyon drainage where the fuels reduction piles are located.

The fire, in steep terrain about 1.5 miles north of Deer Creek Landing and 6.5 miles west of Jemez Springs, was started Friday by lightning. Crews continue to move into the area — 318 people are were on the scene.

Areas of concern for crews, according to the Forest Service, are the archaeological and cultural sites, Jemez Pueblo Trust lands and habitat for the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse and the Mexican spotted owl.