Firefighters getting Santiago fire under control

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Lake Forest and Irvine:

Firefighters reported the 19,200-acre Santiago fire threatening Orange County’s rural canyons abutting the Cleveland National Forest is 50% contained. The announcement marked the first time since the arson fire’s ignition on Sunday that authorities have reported significant progress in hemming in the fire, which is still threatening thousands of homes and the national forest.

Nine homes and eight other buildings are confirmed destroyed, and eight homes and 12 buildings are damaged, though this number is expected to rise and additional homes appeared to be ablaze this morning. Modjeska Canyon suffered the brunt of the destruction.

-- Seema Mehta