Wildland Fire Training Exercise Planned Thursday

LAMORINDA, CA — You can expect to see smoke on Thursday in the Lamorinda area. A live-fire training exercise will be held on Bear Creek Road from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Firefighters from Moraga-Orinda Fire District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, East Bay Regional Parks, Contra Costa County Fire and Cal Fire will be training at a 40-acre site directly across from a PG&E substation.

The exercise could be postponed if weather conditions, especially wind, are not favorable.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is consulting with coordinators to ensure the size and timing of the fires will minimize smoke impacts on homes and other sites.

"This is a great opportunity for cooperating agencies to train together under live-fire conditions," said MOFD’s Training Battalion Chief Steven Gehling,"as we are reducing fuels in the North Orinda Shaded Fuel Break."The wildland fire training is on watershed land. Firefighters plan to burn small plots of grass using a variety of tools and techniques to control the flames.

There are pre-existing control lines in place and extra fire engines will be staged at the exercise as back up.

If you live nearby, it's recommended that you close exterior doors and windows during the training to keep the smell of smoke from entering your home.

Keep in mind that smoke may also diminish visibility for drivers in the area.

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