Public Safety
Lamorinda Daily Gazette
Lamorinda — your local wire.
Lamorinda Daily Gazette
Lamorinda — your local wire.
Public Safety
Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Public Safety
Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Public Safety
Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Public Safety
Marin controlled burn sends smoke into Orinda, Lafayette
Smoke from Marin County prescribed burns drifted into Orinda and Lafayette this week, prompting city advisories to limit outdoor activity — no local fire was burning.
Public Safety
Lamorinda wildfire plan moves toward final rankings
The Diablo Firesafe Council held its final Regional Priority Plan stakeholder meeting Aug. 20 as it works to prioritize wildfire fuel-reduction, evacuation and related projects across Alameda and Contra Costa counties for future grant consideration.
Public Safety
Marin controlled burn sends smoke into Orinda, Lafayette
Smoke from Marin County prescribed burns drifted into Orinda and Lafayette this week, prompting city advisories to limit outdoor activity — no local fire was burning.
Public Safety
Marin controlled burn sends smoke into Orinda, Lafayette
Smoke from Marin County prescribed burns drifted into Orinda and Lafayette this week, prompting city advisories to limit outdoor activity — no local fire was burning.
Public Safety
Alameda man charged in Orinda fentanyl death
A 26-year-old Alameda man has been charged with murder for allegedly selling fentanyl-laced drugs that killed a 20-year-old Orinda resident in September 2024, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday.
Public Safety
Orinda's fire crew battles Washington wildfires amid heat wave
Contra Costa County Fire has sent its Crew 12 Handcrew and four additional personnel to five wildfires in Washington and Oregon, leaving the team that maintains Orinda fuel breaks deployed out of state as the East Bay faces temperatures near 105°F and elevated fire danger through the weekend.
Public Safety
Orinda heat hits 94°F as fire danger climbs into weekend
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the East Bay hills with highs of 95 to 105°F, and forecasts offshore winds will sustain elevated fire risk across Lamorinda through the weekend of Aug. 8–9.
Public Safety
Therapist at Martinez juvenile hall charged with abusing teen
The Contra Costa DA charged former juvenile hall therapist Sofia Ann-Buitron Drotts with seven felonies for allegedly sexually abusing a 17-year-old former client; the victim's family has also filed a civil claim against the county alleging years of grooming and failed oversight.
Public Safety
Fire weather risk climbs in Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette starting Thursday
The National Weather Service warned Tuesday, July 28, that moderate heat risk and elevated fire weather conditions will build across Lamorinda's inland communities beginning Thursday and continuing into the weekend, prompting reminders about defensible space and emergency alert signups.
Public Safety
Equipment failure halts BART Yellow Line at Lafayette, Pleasant Hill
A track equipment failure shut down BART Yellow Line service between Lafayette and Pleasant Hill for about an hour on Monday, July 27, and planned overnight rail maintenance August 4–6 will bring 20-to-25-minute delays on the line's eastern stations.
Public Safety
74-year-old arrested after Lafayette bear spray assault.
A 74-year-old Oakland woman was arrested after deploying bear spray during a parking lot argument at a Lafayette grocery store on Saturday, July 25, exposing eight people to the chemical agent and prompting a multi-agency response from Lafayette police, Contra Costa County Fire, and Orinda police.
Public Safety
Orinda posts emergency operations plan detailing wildfire and disaster response
Orinda published its updated Emergency Operations Plan on July 21, detailing how the city's Emergency Operations Center will activate during wildfires and other disasters, with ranked priorities of life safety, incident stabilization, and property preservation.
Public Safety
MOFD carries out three-acre prescribed burn on Carroll Ridge
The Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District carried out a three-acre prescribed burn on Carroll Ridge on Tuesday, July 21, working to establish a strategic fuel break above the Campolindo neighborhood as part of its wildfire risk reduction program.
Public Safety
MOFD prescribed burn on Carroll Ridge will send smoke over Moraga on Tuesday
The Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District will ignite a 3-acre prescribed burn on Carroll Ridge near Rheem Boulevard on Tuesday, July 21, from about 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., creating a fuel break ahead of peak fire season.
Public Safety
Morgan Fire near Clayton contained at 90% after evacuations; one firefighter injured
A 51-acre wildfire near Clayton that triggered evacuation warnings for two Contra Costa County zones reached 90% containment by Sunday, July 19, with one firefighter injured and no structures damaged.
Public Safety
Morgan Fire burns 50 acres near Mount Diablo; evacuation warnings issued east of Clayton
The Morgan Fire ignited Friday, July 17, near Morgan Territory Road east of Clayton, burning 50 acres in steep terrain near Mount Diablo and prompting evacuation warnings for two zones in eastern Contra Costa County, roughly 15 to 20 miles east of Lamorinda.
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©2026 Lamorinda Daily Gazette
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©2026 Lamorinda Daily Gazette
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