LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Station 43 Firefighters Take First Steps To New Home


Photo at left is station 43's old home from 1952 - 2016 . The rendering at right shows the new station. Image provided

The rebuild of Moraga-Orinda Fire District fire station 43 takes its first evident step Aug. 8 when the district shuts down the Via Las Cruces station and moves the crew into temporary quarters nearby in the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church parking lot. A flyer announcing the move was mailed in July to more than 1,200 parcels that reside in the station 43 first-due area of north Orinda.

Before the building can be razed, the asbestos must be completely removed from the structure. Once that project is finished, the district will use station 43 as a training facility. "We will practice ripping through the roof, breaching the walls, crawling through the windows, all of the challenges we can run into on our jobs," Capt. Matt Nichols said. After a few days of the training exercises, demolition of the fire station will begin.

Nichols said that the flagpole structure and the classic station 43 signage will be transferred to the new station, expected to be completed in September 2017.

"We are still on schedule to meet that target date," said Fire Chief Stephen Healy.