July 22, 2026

PRESS RELEASE From: The East Bay Recreation & Culture Club, Inc., a California nonprofit corporation, Nancy Lehrkind, President

Last night there were two fires intentionally set by suspected juvenile vandals inside the Montclair Firehouse building located at 6226 Moraga Avenue in Montclair Village. As President of the board of the nonprofit dedicated to the restoration of this iconic Montclair landmark, I can say we are very saddened by such a deliberate act of destruction, but undeterred from our mission to create a community arts center there. The significant lesson of this event, to us, is the recognition that it is definitely time for the Montclair community to take charge of this building and deal with it responsibly and usefully. The fire in this location could have spread up the hillside and endangered our Montclair Elementary School as well as many neighborhood homes. It is time for everyone to come together to reclaim and resurrect our Montclair Firehouse. To make it live again as a community asset, not a derelict danger. Donations may be made, and volunteers may join our mailing list via the website at www.montclairfirehouseartscenter.org