Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire prevention season begins: inspections, St. Mary's dorm work, Siesta Valley egress plan and community Firewise growth
Summary
Staff reported inspection season, a rise in exterior hazard complaints, St. Mary's dorm compliance progress (14 buildings compliant; seven awaiting contractor work), Siesta Valley egress plan changes, and that 45 Firewise groups now represent roughly 5,500 homes in the district.
The Moraga Fire District presented its May fire-prevention and operations reports on June 17, highlighting inspection activity, progress at St. Mary’s College dormitories, an egress-plan adjustment for the Siesta Valley performance site, and expanding community wildfire preparedness.
Inspection season: staff said exterior hazard abatement inspections along evacuation routes began in June and the next inspection area (unincorporated Skyline Boulevard, including Starkville Court) was scheduled to begin June 22. In May, staff responded to 18 exterior-hazard complaints and completed 42 property-transfer inspections. Staff reported 15 statemandated apartment inspections; 13 required corrective action.
St. Mary’s dorms and nuisance alarms: the presenter reported only two nuisance alarms in May and said 14 dormitory buildings are now compliant with submitted correction plans; seven buildings remain noncompliant but require specific contractor work (fire-alarm and sprinkler work) to reach full compliance, which staff expect to complete while dormitories are vacant with full compliance expected by July 1. Staff also plans RA-focused fire-safety education in August.
Siesta Valley and egress: a director relayed that Siesta Valley event operators believed they were told to remove native trees for egress; staff clarified the requirement applies to cutting combustible grasses while the lease prohibits removal of native grasses, so the district asked the venue to change the designated area for safe egress to a location clear of combustible fuels. Operational permits were reported issued for the Siesta Valley venue (formerly Shakespeare Theater), St. Mary’s College graduation, and local school graduations.
Community preparedness and incidents: staff said the district now supports 45 Firewise groups representing about 5,500 homes. The operations report also recapped two recent vehicle fires on Highway 24—one confined to the vehicle and another that spread to about one-half acre—and a multi-agency evacuation drill led by Battalion Chief Steve Galing and partners from Berkeley and other neighboring agencies.
What’s next: staff will continue inspections, track compliance status at St. Mary’s, follow up with Siesta Valley for a plan-change submission, and coordinate with county and regional partners for Fourth of July planning.
