Moraga’s Town Council adopted a resolution ratifying Moraga-Orinda Fire District ordinances pertaining to Fire Code and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) during its Feb. 11 meeting. The Orinda City Council also ratified the ordinances on March 3.

    California updates its Fire Code every three years. According to the staff report by Planning Director Sonia Urzua, “The Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) is authorized to adopt local amendments and enact more restrictive building standards than those in the State codes when reasonably necessary due to local climatic, geological, and/or topographical conditions.  For the 2025 code cycle, MOFD adopted updated fire code standards (Ordinance 26-01) and, as a separate but related action, adopted the 2025 California WUI Code with local amendments (Ordinance 26-02).”

    MOFD’s board held a public hearing on Jan. 21, at which time both ordinances were adopted. Fire Code – Ordinance 26-01 includes: clarification when operational and construction permits are required and updates key definitions used for plan review and inspection; updated requirements related to fire apparatus access, emergency access, and water supply (e.g., access road standards, turnarounds, fire flow and hydrant spacing); maintaining and updating fire protection system standards, including fire sprinkler and alarm system criteria for certain new construction, additions, and alterations where applicable; and updating fire safety during construction and requirements related to hazardous materials management and reporting.
  
    Updates to the Wildland-Urban Interface Code – Ordinance 26-02 include: adopting the 2025 California WUI Code and specified appendices to establish wildfire-resilient construction standards within designated WUI areas; and including local amendments addressing ignition-resistant construction and related site design and fire protection features intended to reduce wildfire ignition risk and improve emergency response in the WUI.

    There was discussion as to when, more than if, Zone Zero might come into play. Zone Zero would require a 5-foot ember-resistant defensible space around structures in high-fire risk areas. 

    MOFD Deputy Fire Chief Lucas Lambert explained, “We are at the mercy of the process, and currently the process holds with the Board of Forestry. It’s working through public comments and other things, just as this council does as well.  Zone Zero applies to State Responsibility Areas. It will be at the purview of MOFD’s board to adopt or amend with whatever is proposed.”  MOFD is expecting to hear more with regards to Zone Zero's status in either March or April.