Making a stand at the county line

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Flames from the Santiago fire are within a mile of the Riverside County line, and fire officials hope to restrain it there, fire information officer Larry Tunforss reported at 9:45 a.m. ‘That’s where we’re trying to build a line and hold it there.’

Specialized crews are guarding the communications towers atop Santiago Peak and Modjeska Peak, and fire retardant has been spread in a 2-1/2-mile radius around both towers in hopes of saving them, Tunforss said.

The towers are linchpins for communications in the area, he said. ‘You’ve got a lot of radio stations, television stations. You’ve got a lot of cell towers.’

-- Deborah Schoch