Moraga-Orinda Fire District

Hot weather ahead! Limit all activities that could produce a spark that ignites another wildfire.

Firefighters from the Moraga-Orinda Fire District will be conducting fire training on the John Muir Land Trust’s Painted Rock property in Moraga on Tuesday, June 8 and Wednesday, June 9th. The training will begin at approximately 10:00 AM and be concluded no later than 5:00 PM each day.

Fire Season is Upon us! Fires have already burned over 15,000 acres in California...

As fire season and 1 June annual deadline for weed and brush clearance approaches, the question often arises how can I get rid of all the material we have cut?

Indicators of fire season severity continue to cause concern. Manage the vegetation on your property before the May 31 deadline.

RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR OFFSHORE WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR THE NORTH AND EAST BAY HILLS AS WELL AS THE INTERIOR VALLEYS OF THE EAST BAY... The National Weather Service in San Francisco has cancelled the... Red Flag Warning. While very dry conditions will persist across the interior through Tuesday afternoon, offshore winds continue to diminish and therefore so will the threat of critical fire weather conditions.

DISTRICT WIDE BURN BAN NOW IN EFFECT ALL forms of open flames within the Fire District are restricted...

4th Driest Winter in California’s History....

RED FLAG WARNING EXTENDED! Red Flag Warning for the North and East Bay Hills, as well as the East Bay Interior Valleys, through 6 pm Tuesday for offshore winds and low humidity... .The Red Flag Warning has been extended through Tuesday afternoon. Conditions have briefly moderated but offshore winds will gradually increase again Sunday night into Monday morning across the North and East Bay hills. The latest forecasts now suggest conditions will worsen Monday night into Tuesday morning as another burst of strong offshore winds develops in the hills. This will occur with very low humidity values and drought stressed fuels. Winds will ease through the day Tuesday but warm and dry weather will persist through the Tuesday afternoon burn period.

The Moraga-Orinda Fire District reviews one of the more detailed elements of the new fire code, Section 325.6.3.6 which requires the removal of combustive material, to include mulch, from the ground within 2’ of a structure. Watch the video to learn more!

...Red Flag Warning North and East Bay hills as well as East Bay interior valleys 11 pm Friday through 6 am Monday for offshore winds and lowering humidity... .A moderate early season offshore wind event will develop this weekend. This will occur as fuels are near record dry levels after a very dry winter. The initial burst of dry offshore winds will reach the Napa county hills around 11 pm Friday night and then spread across the East Bay overnight into early Saturday. These winds will usher in much drier air along with wind gusts in excess of 50 mph above 2000 feet. On Saturday breezy north winds will continue as temperatures warm well into the 80s with humidity values lowering into the teens and single digits. This pattern will help to rapidly dry out the fine fuels through the weekend.

Prescribed Fire on Friday- December 11 at Bear Ridge Firefighters from the Moraga-Orinda Fire District will be conducting prescribed fire project near Briones reservoir on Friday, December 11, 2020. This project is a continuation of the wildfire management work that was done as part of the North Orinda Shaded Fuel Break in 2019. The +/- eight-acre project will begin at approximately 10:00 AM and should be concluded no later than 5:00 PM. The project is intended to reduce Brus...h sprouting and thatch in the area to reduce the fuel load. It will also encourage native plants and promote spring wildflowers. Safety is our number one priority. The project is being set up to take advantage of existing control lines and will be executed according to a strict go, no go checklist. The we are coordinating with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to ensure the size and timing of the burning will minimize smoke impacts to homes and other smoke-sensitive sites in the area. If burning conditions change the project will be rescheduled. Residents in the Sleepy Hollow, Tappan Lane, Tappan Way, Manzanita Drive and Monte Vista neighborhoods may see or smell smoke. Closing exterior doors and windows during the day will help to keep smoke from entering homes. Signs cautioning motorists and bicycles about the additional fire equipment traffic and potential for reduced visibility along adjacent roadways will be posted along Bear Creek Rd and Bear Ridge Road. We will continue to keep local residents informed of any changes to the plan via Nextdoor, Orinda Police Department's Nixle notifications and MOFD Social Media sites.

Prescribed Fire Project on Tuesday 12/8/2020 at Wagner Ranch Elementary School The Moraga-Orinda Fire District will Conduct a 2 to 4 ac. Prescribed Fire Project at Wagner Ranch Elementary School tomorrow (Tuesday, December 8) from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The project is being undertaken as a means of maintaining the 2019 North Orinda Shaded Fuel Break and will help restore native grasses and other plants to the area. The project will be conducted under specific weather conditi...ons in order to make sure the fire remains under control at all times. MOFD is coordinating the project with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to ensure the size and timing of the fire will minimize smoke impacts on the school, nearby roads and surrounding neighbors. Safety is the number one priority. If burning conditions change the project will be rescheduled. Residents in the area may see or smell smoke. Closing exterior doors and windows will help to keep smoke from entering homes. Signs cautioning motorists and cyclists of the fire equipment traffic and potential for reduced visibility along adjacent roadways will be posted in the area. MOFD will continue to keep residents informed of any changes via NextDoor, Nixle and MOFD’s Facebook page.

RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM SUNDAY 12/6/2020 TO 11 AM PST MONDAY FOR GUSTY OFFSHORE WINDS FOR THE NORTH AND EAST BAY The National Weather Service in San Francisco has issued a Red Flag Warning for gusty offshore winds, which is in effect from 11 PM this evening to 11 AM PST Monday. * TIMING...Winds will increase before midnight tonight then increase overnight into Monday morning. The strongest winds are forecast Monday morning through midday before slowly easing Mon...day afternoon. * WINDS...North 15 to 25 mph with frequent gusts up to 45 mph above 1000 feet. Local gusts to 60 mph for wind favored locations around Mt Saint Helena, Mount Diablo and Mt Tamalpais. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Humidity will be moderate tonight from 40-50% but gradually lower to around 30% by midday Monday. * TEMPERATURES...Record highs into the 70s on Monday. * IMPACTS...Any new starts aligned with wind will likely show rapid growth as fuels remain at or near all time record dry levels for early December. Strong winds could cause power outages as well as downed trees and limbs. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now...or will shortly. A combination of strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

Prescribed Fire Project at Painted Rock on WED 12/1/2020 Firefighters from the Moraga-Orinda Fire District will be conducting prescribed fire project on the John Muir Land Trust’s Painted Rock property in Moraga on Wednesday, December 2nd. This project is a continuation of the wildfire management work that was done in the area in the Spring of 2020 and Fall of 2019. The +/- 20-acre project will begin at approximately 11:00 AM and will be concluded no later than 5:00 PM. The p...roject is intended to reduce fuel loading and thatch in the area to encourage native plants and wildflowers. Safety is our number one priority. The project is being set up to take advantage of existing fire control lines and will be executed according to a strict go, no go checklist. The project is also being coordinated with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to ensure the size and timing will minimize smoke impacts on homes and other smoke-sensitive sites in the area. If burning conditions change the project will be rescheduled. Residents in the Rheem Valley, Carrol Ranch and Buckingham Drive neighborhoods may see or smell smoke. Closing exterior doors and windows during the day will help to keep smoke from entering homes. Signs cautioning motorists and bicycles of the additional fire equipment traffic and potential for reduced visibility along adjacent roadways will be posted along Moraga Road and Rheem Blvd. We will continue to keep local residents informed of any changes to the plan via Nextdoor, Moraga and Lafayette Police Department's Nixle notifications and MOFD Social Media sites.

Today's Prescribed Fire project at Painted Rock in Moraga has been postponed. Weather conditions at the site (Wind speed greater that 15 MPH) have put the project out of prescription. Crews will try again late next week.