Moraga-Orinda firefighters are training on controlled, live fires this week so they will be better prepared when the uncontrolled ones come.
Members of the Moraga-Orinda Fire District were expected to be at the John Muir Land Trust’s Painted Rock property in Moraga on Monday and Thursday, and at Campolindo Ridge on Tuesday.
The district said in a statement that safety will be firefighters’ number one priority. The exercises are being set up to take advantage of existing fire control lines and will be executed according to a strict “go, no go” checklist.
The event is being coordinated with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and fire weather forecasters at the National Weather Service to make sure the size and timing of the training fires will minimize smoke impacts on homes and smoke-sensitive sites in the area. The fire district said training would be rescheduled if conditions change.
Residents of the Rheem Valley, Carrol Ranch, Bella Vista and Buckingham Drive neighborhoods may see or smell smoke. The district advised residents to close exterior doors and windows during the day to keep smoke out. Signs advising motorists have been posted along Moraga Road and Rheem Boulevard.
The fire district is keeping residents posted about changes to the plan via Nextdoor, Moraga and Lafayette Police Department’s Nixle notifications and the MOFD social media sites.