Fire Ring Debate Continues to Heat Up

Beach-goers traveled to Diamond Bar Thursday to discuss the future of the Newport Beach and Huntington Beach fire pits.

More than 30 people spoke on a recommendation by South Coast Air Quality Management District officials to prohibit fire rings on beaches throughout much of Southern California. The meeting went on for about three hours, said Sam Atwood, spokesman for the SCAQMD.

The meeting was a public hearing. No decision was made by the board. Discussion will continue on May 3.

Speakers from Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, the two city’s impacted, attended. Newport Beach officials want to prohibit the fire pits, but their counterparts from Huntington Beach want to keep them legal.

“I would say nearly everyone who came out from Huntington Beach expressed that viewpoint,” Atwood said.

Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce officials say the city would lose $1 million annually in parking income if the fire pits are banned.

Huntington Beach Mayor Connie Boardman sent a letter to the AQMD last week opposing the proposed ban on fire pits.

"The city of Huntington Beach receives more than 11 million visitors annually," Boardman said. "While not all of those visitors participate in recreational fires on our beach areas, a large majority visit our beaches solely for that purpose. We estimate that these visitors generate more than $1 million annually in revenue through parking fees, sales tax from local shopping and transient occupancy tax from overnight stays."

The city, which has offered the fire rings for six decades, has more than any other beach city in Orange and Los Angeles counties, Boardman said.

"The concept of a warm open fire evokes a sense of family and special memories for many generations," Boardman said in the letter. "A few years ago, as a way to reduce maintenance costs at the beach, the city considered removing some of the fire rings. Our residents were outraged. The proposal was dropped."

Newport Beach officials contend the fire pits pose a health hazard for beachgoers and neighbors. The AQMD staff agrees.

There are no residential units near Huntington Beach's fire rings, Boardman said.

The AQMD is also looking at alternatives to removing the fire pits. One suggestion is to make them propane or natural gas burning rather than wood burning fire pits.

The agency oversees all of Orange County and most of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, so if the district board in May upholds the staff's recommendation it would prohibit the fire pits throughout Orange County and most beaches in Los Angeles County.

Earlier this month, the California Coastal Commission postponed a decision on Newport Beach's request to remove fire pits from the city's beaches because that agency wanted to wait for feedback from the AQMD.

-City News Service contributed to this report.