Orinda Homeowners Hear Insurance Fixes Are Coming, Zone Zero Rules Loom

State lawmakers told a special Orinda City Council forum on Oct. 29, 2026, that insurers still turn away callers from Orinda's zip code. They previewed a legislative push to pull wildland-urban-interface towns off the FAIR plan. The informational "Safe at Scale" panel took no votes, but it surfaced a January decision for the Moraga-Orinda Fire District: how quickly the state's new Zone Zero ember rules will reach local homes.

---

• Insurance reform push expected next two-year session as lawmakers say carriers still avoid Orinda
• New state law forces a second look at the FAIR plan "distressed area" test, which Orinda misses at 11%
• Zone Zero rules pulled back for resubmission; fire district to weigh local timeline in January
• Grants, cheaper permits and contractor deals pitched to ease home-hardening costs
• $2M of a new $5M award headed to Orinda for fuel work near OIS

---

Insurers Still Shun Orinda, Lawmakers Say

Why it matters: Several attendees said they rely on the FAIR plan, California's insurer of last resort. Panelists said the state's current test for "distressed" areas leaves cities like Orinda out of relief, even though residents are still facing non-renewals.

Where things stand: Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan said she was non-renewed herself. She said Orinda residents who call insurers are told the companies do not write policies in the city's zip code.

The gap is a definition. Under the state's Sustainable Insurance Strategy, an area counts as distressed when 15% of the community is on the FAIR plan. Orinda sits at 11%. Bauer-Kahan said her bill, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, requires the state to reevaluate that definition so it accounts for the wildland-urban interface.

"So I pushed legislation through with an official letter of opposition from the insurance commissioner," said Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan.

She also described trying to decipher the requirements for a wildfire-safe-home certification. "I cannot for the life of me figure out what it would take to get this certification," said Bauer-Kahan. She said she intends to pursue legislation to make the standard user-friendly.

The other side: State Senator Tim Grayson framed the problem from the market side. He said the FAIR plan is overpopulated and should be depopulated. He also said insurers' required share of FAIR plan liability ties up capital they could otherwise use to write policies.

"Our goal should not be to populate the FAIR plan," said Senator Grayson.

Steve Hawks, Senior Director for Wildfire at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), described the group as an insurer-funded nonprofit. He said its research on wildfire and structure-to-structure fire spread feeds the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home program, which is the kind of mitigation standard that discounts and certifications depend on.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No action was taken. Homeowners on the FAIR plan stand to gain if the distressed-area test is broadened. That gain depends on how the state rewrites the definition. Insurers face pressure from both directions: lawmakers want carriers back in the market, while Grayson argued the current FAIR plan structure discourages them from returning.

What's next: Grayson said he expects a large insurance reform effort in the coming two-year legislative session.

---

Zone Zero: State Rules Near, Local Clock Debated

The basics: "Zone Zero addresses the first 5 feet out from the walls of the house," said Hawks. Hawks walked through the ember science behind the rules. The goal is to keep wind-blown embers from igniting material right against a home.

Where things stand: The moderator said the state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approved final draft regulations in August and sent them to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) for review. Hawks corrected that account. He said OAL returned the package and the board pulled it back. The board planned to vote the Thursday after the forum on resubmitting the rules under emergency authority.

Hawks said the current draft would require:

• Trees limbed up
• Plants no taller than 18 inches, in the ground or in noncombustible pots
• At least one foot of noncombustible space, more where eaves extend farther
• Extra clearance around doors, windows and vents
• Five feet of clearance around decks, stairs and pergolas

The moderator said existing homes would have a three-year implementation window once the rules are final. Fire Chief Jeff Isaacs of the Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) said the rules would apply immediately to new construction in very high fire hazard severity zones.

The other side: Isaacs questioned whether the district should accept the state's grace period. "The threat's here today. Why are we waiting 3 years?" said Chief Isaacs.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The MOFD Board of Directors, not the City Council, holds this decision. It will weigh three paths:

• Wait out the state's three years
• Phase in requirements through annual steps
• Extend the rules beyond the very high hazard zone

Owners of older homes with landscaping, wood fencing or decks near their walls have the most at stake.

What's next: The MOFD board takes up local implementation in January.

---

Who Pays: Grants, Fees and Chippers

Why it matters: Panelists treated cost as the biggest barrier to compliance, especially for older homes and lower-income residents. They also acknowledged that public money is limited.

Where things stand: Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan said grants matter most for residents with limited means. She said state CAL FIRE mitigation grants were changed a year earlier so communities, fire districts and cities can apply and use the money for home hardening. She cautioned that the funds are not endless. She pointed to Orinda's chipper program as one way to cut costs.

Senator Grayson argued that government should lower its own costs. He urged reduced permit fees and streamlined inspections for hardening work. He also called on insurers to partner with contractors at set price points.

Local programs already exist. Officials described:

• Orinda's chipper and incentive program, administered by FSMA
• MOFD's chipper and home-hardening grant program
• A volunteer ambassador program that advises residents and does not issue citations

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Cities and fire districts would gain the most from grant eligibility, since they can now apply directly. Contractors could benefit from insurer partnerships if those materialize. Residents with limited means remain the most dependent on grant funding that panelists described as finite.

---

Year-Round Crews and a School Closure Law

Where things stand: Senator Grayson said the Firefighters Act converted CAL FIRE seasonal firefighters to year-round positions, so crews can cut brush when they are not fighting fires. He credited the Contra Costa County Fire Department's two year-round hand crews.

Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan said the shaded fuel break was among the first CAL FIRE grant projects. She said grants were later changed to allow maintenance of fuel breaks. She called fuel breaks easier to fund than house-by-house hardening, which requires every landowner to agree. She said $2M of a new $5M award is coming to Orinda for fuel work near OIS.

Grayson also cited the East Bay Regional Wildfire Task Force. He described a new law that lets Sleepy Hollow school close on high wildfire risk days without losing attendance funding. "That school can now allow the kids to stay home and not come into a dangerous environment," said Grayson.

---

• Evacuation upgrades: New bollards let both lanes turn toward the freeway. A feasibility study is examining a Moraga Way bike and pedestrian road that could carry emergency vehicles during an evacuation.
• Evacuation planning tools: The city uses LADRS evacuation modeling software and tabletop exercises. It also holds a regular "2x2" meeting of two council members and two MOFD board members.
• Vegetation enforcement: Chief Isaacs described a citation process for property owners along evacuation routes who do not comply with vegetation code.
• Where to get answers: Residents can contact the fire district website, the fire marshal or Orinda Ready with hardening questions.
• Closing asks: Isaacs urged residents to find vulnerabilities, Bauer-Kahan asked each person to talk to two neighbors, Grayson suggested watch parties and Hawks said "we're stronger together."

---

Looking ahead: The state Board of Forestry is expected to vote on resubmitting Zone Zero under emergency authority. MOFD's board takes up local timing in January. Insurance reform bills are expected in the next two-year legislative session.