By Billy FrieD |
Calling all families , friends , colleagues , and lovers of the flame , we are in danger of losing our beloved Aliso Beach firepits – forever . If you haven ’ t noticed , they ’ re already gone . Now we have one shot at reclaiming them – this Tuesday at City Council . We need you to show up ( or call in ) and voice your support for wood-burning fire rings – just as we ’ ve enjoyed over countless generations . It ’ s one of the things that makes living here special and one of the reasons the human species evolved from the Stone to the Bronze Age . But now we are at risk of devolving into the Nanny Age . |
It ’ s been amazing how quiet our community has been amidst the quiet dissembling of our beloved rings . I ’ m not certain we knew what hit us . It was so gradual . It all started last year under the county ’ s jurisdiction . One by one , they started disappearing . Were they swallowed by the storm surges ? Or did the county quietly move them to their other beaches when they knew they were handing over control to our city in the coming year ? No one knows because they ’ ve been mum . All we know is those beloved , cultural icons that have spawned lifetimes of magic memories - and perhaps even a few babies - are gone , and there is pressure to make them permanent . The fire department would , of course , rather do away with them , citing fire safety and the fear that some rogue windstorm will send a spark across Coast Highway and into a hillside home . It ’ s their job to say no to any open fire reflexively . But if we are concerned about beach safety , we better fence the shoreline , too , because a shark may come ashore and nab a child .
I get that wood-burning fireplaces in new construction have been banned because of the overall air quality impact . But open firepits by the ocean ? The South Coast Air
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Quality Management District Board tried banning South County beach pits 10 years ago and was roundly repudiated by angry citizens and mayors . It came about after a few wealthy beachfront homeowners in Newport complained about smoke . Those nearby firepits were switched to charcoal only , and the rest stayed put . Problem solved !
So , for those of you keeping score at home , Orange County currently has 838 public fire rings . From north to south : Bolsa Chica 176 , Huntington Beach 357 , Newport Beach 63 , Dana Point 44 , Capistrano Beach 4 , San Clemente 194 , but little Laguna Beach , zilch . Yep , we are bidding for Nanny State Award of the Year !
Fire rings have been around longer than any of us , and there is no record of a firestorm being caused by them . It is one of the great things about beachgoing at night – the hypnotic flames , glow of the embers , the crackling sounds , the stars overhead and the waves crashing , and above all , the warmth . I doubt many could spend time on the beach at night without them . And it ’ s free and open to everyone . That ’ s a rarity in our profit-driven culture today .
When the city of Laguna announced they were taking over jurisdiction and operations of our
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southern beaches from the county , we all applauded local control . We knew our Marine Safety staffing was second to none and that more swimmers would be safe . We knew that local ownership meant better stewardship of the land . But never in our wildest dreams did we think we ’ d lose more of our precious freedoms to recreate and gather on our public land , the ones we finance through our taxes .
Please join me and say yes to the firepits at Aliso Beach . Preserve a cherished tradition . Do your part by speaking out and letting the council know how special they are to you . You can watch from home on the city website and call in via Zoom . You can track when the motion is heard by viewing the agenda at lagunabeachcity . net . Click on City Council and then Meeting Agendas . But by far , the most effective way to have your voice heard is to show up and tell the council what those few firepits mean to you . In the immortal words of Eminem , “ You only get one shot , do not miss this chance to blow , this opportunity comes once in a lifetime , yo .”
Billy is the CEO of La Vida Laguna , an outdoor adventure company , and the host of “ Laguna Talks ” on KXFM radio – Thursdays at 8 p . m . Email : billy @ lavidalaguna . com .
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