Community planners support a proposal to ban wood bonfires on City beaches (including Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, La Jolla, and Ocean Beach) outside designated fire rings, but beach-access advocates insist the measure is yet another attempt by local government to restrict public freedoms.

“We are trying for an Oct. 10 docket date,” said Victoria Joes, chief of staff for District 1 Councilmember Joe LaCava representing La Jolla.

LaCava chairs the City Council Environment Committee, which in May unanimously endorsed his proposed amendments clarifying beach fire regulations.

LaCava’s proposal confining beach fires to City-provided fire rings and portable propane-fueled devices is meant to resolve conflicting language, improve public safety, and provide clarity for beachgoers and public safety officials alike.

“I support safe, legal beach fires,” said LaCava. “These amendments are essential in keeping our public beaches safe while preserving the public’s access to the unique experience of beach fires.”

La Jolla community planners said their City advisory groups have vetted LaCava’s proposal and the general consensus is that fire-ring restrictions are necessary.

“We at La Jolla Parks & Beaches discussed this issue about a year ago, and narrowly voted against having bonfires outside of City rings. And we supported LaCava, too,” said LJP&B chair Bob Evans. “Just about everyone one of us in the community has had great experiences over the decades on the beaches, and all of us talked strongly about banning versus not banning. But now with so many more people (both locals and tourists) visiting our beaches, it’s gotten way out of control.”

Added Evans: “The police aren’t able to effectively patrol and enforce, especially in the smaller pocket-type beaches along the La Jolla shoreline. There are so many people overcrowding on weekends, loud music and parties, leaving trash, commercialism, and events, and unsafe fire remains. Thus, unless the City can properly enforce and manage reasonable regulations on the beaches, we had to majority vote against bonfires outside of rings.”

Not everyone, however, favors the new proposed beach-fire regulations.

“The fun police are after your freedom to use and enjoy your public beaches,” La Jolla beach-access advocate Ken Hunrichs said. “Not satisfied with extreme restrictions on beach access and fireworks displays, Councilmember LaCava is proposing banning wood fires in privately owned fire bowls on City beaches.

“The proposal would prohibit the use of your own fire bowl to have a natural wood fire. Their idea of a beach fire would force you to use only a propane fire in your device,” Hunrichs said. “That would be like lighting all the burners on your kitchen stove and sitting around it. Not a good experience.”

Longtime La Jollan Melinda Merryweather concurred with Hunrich’s view.

“They don’t want you to have wood or charcoal anywhere on the beach,” she said. “They just want you to have propane. I want my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to have beach fires and the smell of hot dogs and marshmallows. They tried this (new fire regulations) in Newport Beach. There was so much anger about it they brought the fire pits back.”

Dorie DeFranco, vice president of Barber Tract Neighborhood Association, said her group supports the proposed beach fire ordinance changes. “They clarify the current municipal code, which was confusing to everyone and not enforceable,” she said. “This is a great start to reduce burns and air pollution for everyone. With enforcement, it will reduce the number of illegal fires.”

DeFranco noted there are numerous health and safety issues caused by beach fires, noting many illegal fires are built directly on the sand, leaving charcoal ash debris and burnt logs from fires. “The City bans smoking on the beach, but a typical beach fire produces thousands of times more toxic smoke than second-hand smoke from cigarettes,” she said.

Scripps researcher Meinrat O. “Andi” Andreae, a member of the La Jolla Shores Association, detailed the dangers of beach fires. “The fires release toxic smoke that endangers the health of both beach users and residents in the adjacent communities,” he said. “Every year, there are a number of hospitalizations resulting from people, especially children, stepping on glowing embers buried in the sand. And finally, the fires act as focal points for a variety of illegal activities, such as underage drinking, drug use, and violent behavior.”

Andreae noted the proposed modification of the existing ordinance would be a significant step to clarifying what’s legal and what’s not. “If enforced, it would eliminate the risk of burns from buried embers,” he said. “It would reduce the overall number of fires, reducing the impact of smoke air pollution. All the while, it would still allow people to enjoy a picnic around a fire on the beach, either using the city-provided fire rings or their propane-fueled fire pits. I’ve seen several of them on the beach and asked people how they liked them. Everybody I asked told me they love them. Lots of fun without the mess.”

Janie Emerson, president of LJSA, concurred with Andreae’s perspective.

“I grew up with beach fires,” she said. “I also grew up smoking. When we learned smoking caused cancer, I stopped. This is a similar moment. These beach fires are damaging to us and our environment. So, time to change the type of fires at the beach to keep all healthy and safe.”

Proposed beach-fire amendments include: 

• Clarifying permissible fire devices: “City-provided fire rings” and “portable propane-fueled devices;”
• Removing the specification that beach fires are only allowed where a “City-provided fire ring” exists;
• Replacing “City-provided fire container(s)” with “City-provided fire ring(s);”
• Replacing “Public Beach” with “Beach Area;”
• Defining “propane-fueled device.”

Where amendments would apply:

Only to “beach areas,” which are defined as any beach or land and the waters abutting or adjacent thereto under the jurisdiction of the City’s Park and Recreation Department, and do not apply to public parks.

Where beach fires are prohibited:

Open beach fires outside containers are prohibited at all San Diego beaches. Fires are not allowed between midnight and 5 a.m. The burning of rubbish is prohibited. Presently, only wood, charcoal, or paper products may be used as fuel. Fuel for the fire may not exceed a height of more than 12 inches above the upper edge of the fire container. The fire must be extinguished before leaving the beach. Coals must be removed or deposited in hot coal containers.

Photo by Don Balch