The City of Orinda will receive $2 million in state money to maintain fuel breaks and reduce wildfire risk along the wildland-urban interface.
Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan announced Tuesday, Sept. 15, that her district secured $5 million from the state General Fund for wildfire prevention and evacuation preparedness across Assembly District 16 (AD-16). Orinda's $2 million share will fund Community Risk Reduction and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) mitigation work, according to Contra Costa News.
That work includes maintaining fuel breaks built in partnership with CAL FIRE, the Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD), the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) and private landowners.
The remaining $3 million is split between two other projects. San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District will receive $2 million to clear dry grass and brush in and around Mount Diablo State Park. Contra Costa County will get $1 million for wildfire and evacuation modeling tools, contraflow operations testing, Red Flag Day parking restrictions and evacuation strategies.
Bauer-Kahan said in a press release that the funding resulted from a request she submitted earlier in 2026 with local fire districts and regional partners. "This is a team effort, and it does not end here," she said. "I will keep advocating in Sacramento for the resources our communities need to stay safe ahead of fire season."
The allocation builds on years of fuel break work in the East Bay hills. MOFD records show the North Orinda Shaded Fuel Break and the Tunnel East Bay Hills Fuel Break together treated nearly 4,300 acres across roughly 39 miles of open space. The Tunnel project cost $6.3 million in state funds. It was completed in March 2025.
Bauer-Kahan's announcement described the eastern Bay Area as among the state's most wildfire-prone regions, citing steep terrain, extensive open space and a limited road network. Those same conditions complicate evacuations when fires threaten neighborhoods.
The announcement did not include a timeline for when Orinda will begin spending the $2 million or what city approvals may be required. No reaction from Orinda city officials or MOFD appeared in the public record as of publication.
