San Ramon Valley Fire Officials Sound Alarm on State Delays

SAN RAMON, CA —As leadership changes at the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, a lingering dispute with the state over wildfire safety that officials said puts residents at risk underscores the challenges facing local agencies.

Outgoing Fire Chief Paige Meyer’s final day is Wednesday, with Deputy Chief of Operations Jonas Aguiar scheduled to take over as chief following a recent vote by the district’s board of directors.

The transition comes as the district pushes back against California regulations that fire officials say have hindered efforts to reduce wildfire risk.

According to statement circulated on social media, the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District launched a data-driven wildfire mitigation program in early 2025 focused on protecting residents in some of the region’s highest fire hazard areas. Using state fire severity maps and its own risk assessments, the district planned fuel breaks, evacuation improvements and enhanced response strategies aimed at reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfires and helping homeowners access more affordable insurance.

District leaders say the effort was significantly delayed and scaled back by regulatory restrictions, primarily from California State Parks, which manages large areas of high-risk land adjacent to residential neighborhoods. According to the fire district officials, nearly nine months of delays stemmed from environmental compliance requirements, permitting fees, cultural monitoring mandates and narrow work windows.

While the district initially planned to complete mitigation work on about 300 acres, it was ultimately allowed to treat only about 30 acres during a two-week window on state park land designated as very high fire hazard. Project costs totaled about $120,700, with roughly 78 percent spent on state-mandated compliance and oversight and only 22 percent on actual mitigation work, according to the district.

Fire officials argue the outcome effectively shifted both wildfire risk and financial responsibility to local taxpayers, even though the land involved is state-owned and identified by the state as extremely hazardous. In response, fire district has formally notified the office of Gov. Gavin Newsom and California State Parks, asserting that responsibility and liability for wildfire risk in the affected areas rests with the state.

Despite the dispute, Aguiar said the district remains committed to advancing wildfire resilience and is seeking stronger collaboration with state agencies to complete mitigation efforts and better protect residents as he assumes leadership.