Beach bonfire ban: Bonfires on beaches may be a thing of the past in Orange and Los Angeles counties, under a proposed rule change.
But some residents are fighting back, asking for alternative ways to curb beach bonfires without banning them.
“There must be other ways to manage [beach burning] without outright banning it,” Huntington Beach resident and preservationist Mary Urashima told the Los Angeles Times.
Smoke from these bonfires sometimes gets so thick that fire alarms are set off in nearby houses at the beaches in Corona del Mar and Balboa, according to the media outlet.
Others in opposition cite declined revenue.
“People don’t go to the beach in the evening to sun tan,” said Dianne Thompson, chairwoman of the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, citing an estimated $1-million loss just in beach parking revenue after 3 p.m. “This would impact us more than any community.”
The ban on the table is also meeting resistance in the state legislature, with the California Assembly passing a resolution opposing it, according to Corona del Mar Today.
The resolution recognizes the fire rings on state beaches “as part of California’s recreational and community activity, and beach lifestyle,” and with traditional and cultural significance.
“Beach bonfires are a safe and inexpensive recreational activity and are enjoyed by all the members of our community, regardless of socioeconomic class,” according to the resolution, which will now go to the state senate.
Newport Beach City Manager Dave Kiffs said he wants to see the proposed ban be decided on in court.
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