Moraga-Orinda Fire District Deploys Targeted Vegetation Mastication Along Canyon Road and Pinehurst Corridor

Heavy specialized forestry equipment moved into position along Canyon Road and Pinehurst Road on Monday morning as the Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) commenced a two-week targeted vegetation mastication project designed to secure critical emergency evacuation corridors connecting Moraga, Orinda, and the East Bay hills. Funded through local Measure X wildfire prevention taxes and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection grants, the operation removes overgrown understory brush, dead branches, and invasive eucalyptus stands.

MOFD Fire Chief Dave Winnacker surveyed the preliminary clearing zones on Monday, emphasizing that maintaining wide, shaded fuel breaks along narrow canyon roads is essential to ensure safe resident evacuation and unobstructed fire engine access during wind-driven wildland fires. Mechanical masticators grind combustible ladder fuels into fine, moisture-retaining organic mulch on-site, stabilizing steep roadside embankments while preventing rapid ground fire propagation.

Town officials from Moraga and Orinda commended the proactive fuel reduction work, which coordinates seamlessly with ongoing East Bay Regional Park District vegetation management in nearby Redwood Regional Park and EBMUD watershed lands. Traffic control personnel will maintain single-lane reversing traffic with pilot cars along Canyon Road between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM on weekdays to ensure public safety while heavy equipment operates adjacent to the roadway.

Residents, hillside property owners, and commuters can view the detailed fuel reduction timetable, evacuation route guidelines, and complimentary residential chipping signup forms online at mofd.org. Questions regarding roadside operations and private property defensible space regulations may be directed to the Moraga-Orinda Fire District administration office Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM at (925) 258-4599. Fire officials remind all Lamorinda families to review their household wildfire action plans and pack emergency supply kits.