Inland temperatures in Orinda, Moraga and Lafayette will climb through the week, with the National Weather Service warning Tuesday, July 28, of moderate heat risk and elevated fire weather conditions beginning Thursday, July 30, and continuing into the weekend.
The advisory, reported by Local News Matters citing the NWS, said breezy onshore winds will keep coastal areas relatively mild through midweek while interior communities see temperatures rise. The NWS Orinda weather station recorded 82°F with 50 percent humidity at 1:54 p.m. Tuesday, with highs near 80°F forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday before the heat builds further.
The threat is real here. Both Orinda and Moraga sit in designated Very High and High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, according to the Moraga-Orinda Firewise Network, making the communities particularly vulnerable when fire weather conditions escalate.
The advisory comes weeks after a vehicle fire near the Fish Ranch Road freeway entrance in Orinda ignited a half-acre vegetation fire on June 11 during Red Flag conditions. MOFD Fire Chief Jeff Isaacs said in June that the fire was "a reminder of how quickly a vehicle fire can extend into nearby vegetation during Red Flag conditions."
How residents can prepare
The Moraga-Orinda Fire District's vegetation management enforcement has been active since June 1. The district requires a minimum 2-foot non-combustible zone immediately adjacent to homes (Zone 0, covering the first 5 feet from a structure), plus clearance of dead brush and grass cut to no higher than 3 inches in Zones 1 and 2, extending out to 100 feet.
Interim Contra Costa County Fire Chief Lewis Broschard urged residents at a May 11 wildfire preparedness press conference to create defensible space and sign up for the Community Warning System at cwsalerts.com. "There's only so much that we can do," Broschard told reporters at the event, "but there are literally thousands upon thousands of homeowners and residents that can take action to improve not only their individual situation, but also for their neighborhood, their community and for Contra Costa County as a whole."
MOFD's 2025 Home Hardening Grant Program distributed gutter guards to 485 residents and vent mesh to 193 residents, and the district's Chipper Program served more than 310 homes. The Lamorinda area now has 44 Firewise Neighborhoods representing over 4,000 dwelling units.
Residents can monitor live wildfire camera feeds through ALERTCalifornia, which operates more than 1,200 high-definition cameras statewide. The NWS has not issued a Red Flag Warning or Excessive Heat Warning for the Lamorinda area as of Tuesday afternoon, but conditions are forecast to intensify through the weekend. Residents should monitor the NWS San Francisco Bay Area forecast office for any upgraded watches or warnings.
