Public Safety
Moraga police win $166K state grant as DUI arrests double
Moraga Police received a $165,998 CHP grant for a DUI enforcement vehicle, officer training and additional patrols after local DUI arrests nearly doubled between 2022 and 2025.
Public Safety
Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Public Safety
Heat advisory extended through Monday in Lamorinda
A National Weather Service Heat Advisory takes effect Saturday, Oct. 3, at 11 a.m. and runs through Monday, Oct. 5, at 10 p.m., with inland temperatures forecast to reach 103 degrees and warm overnight lows limiting recovery for Lamorinda residents.
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.
Public Safety
Lamorinda's three councils convened jointly to address evacuation planning, traffic signals, and Moraga Way
Orinda, Lafayette, and Moraga held a joint council session on Thursday, July 16, at St. Mary's College to hear reports on a countywide evacuation study, the Moraga Way redesign, smart traffic signals, and BART, though official minutes and outcomes have not yet been posted.
Public Safety
Orinda council to weigh $505,400 wildfire contract, new emergency plan Tuesday
The Orinda City Council meets Tuesday, July 21, with a packed agenda that includes a $505,400 wildfire evacuation contract extension, a new Emergency Operations Plan, housing zoning changes, and a downtown facade grant ordinance.
Public Safety
Orinda homeowners spend $4.49 for every $1 in city fire fuel rebates as fund passes halfway mark
Orinda's Measure R-funded Fire Fuel Reduction Incentive Program has committed 55% of its $400,000 budget to 309 homeowners, while the city's free chipper service removed 456 cubic yards of vegetation in June 2026, according to the city's latest progress report.
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