Orinda city officials and Moraga-Orinda Fire District board members will meet Monday, July 27, at 6 p.m. for a Joint 2x2 Subcommittee session on wildfire preparedness coordination.
Though the agenda has not yet been posted, the session follows a stretch of fire-related urgency across Lamorinda.
The Morgan Fire broke out Friday, July 17, near the 2430 block of Morgan Territory Road at Marsh Creek Road in Contra Costa County, east of Clayton. The blaze reached roughly 50 acres and drew eight Type 1 air tankers and four helicopters before firefighters contained it, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. Evacuation warnings covered Zones CCC-249 and CCC-250 between Morgan Territory Regional Preserve and Mount Diablo State Park.
The subcommittee pairs two Orinda City Council members with two MOFD board directors for regular coordination on fire safety and emergency planning. MOFD Fire Chief Jeff Isaacs leads a district serving both Orinda and Moraga. A UC Santa Barbara study published in June in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences specifically flagged both communities for narrow, hilly roads that hamper evacuation.
On Thursday, July 16, the three Lamorinda councils held a joint session at St. Mary's College in Moraga where the Contra Costa Transportation Authority presented its Countywide Evacuation Study. That two-year project, funded by a Caltrans grant awarded in August 2024, selected Lamorinda as a regional pilot area for new evacuation management investments.
Orinda has also been updating its Emergency Operations Plan since selecting consultant Navigating Preparedness Associates in May 2025. The city launched OrindaReady.com in November 2025, a platform featuring more than 100 wildfire and evacuation scenarios modeled by Ladris software.
"When it comes to emergency preparedness, waiting until there's an ongoing wildfire or evacuation is too late," City Manager Linda Smith said in a January 15 press release announcing the site.
The Moraga Orinda Firewise Network reported 44 Firewise Neighborhoods representing more than 4,000 dwelling units as of January 2026. Orinda's Chipper Program removed approximately 4,515 cubic yards of hazardous vegetation between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, logging 1,175 completed reservations.
The Orinda City Council includes Mayor Brandyn Iverson, Vice Mayor Darlene Gee, and Councilmembers Cara Hoxie, Latika Malkani, and Janet Riley. The city has not announced which two members will represent the council at the July 27 session. Residents can check cityoforinda.gov for the agenda and information on how to attend or submit public comment.
