Vanity of the bonfire
The beach bonfire is an age-old tradition that goes back far beyond the days of Gidget, Beach Blanket Bingo, and the crooning Beach Boys. Nestled next to a fire, marshmallows on skewers, blankets draped over shoulders, and hands warmed by mugs of hot cocoa, many Southern Californians consider it practically a birthright. But in 2013, the beloved seaside ritual sparked a firestorm of opposition that threatened to end the practice altogether.
A group of beachfront homeowners in Orange County’s tony Newport Beach, living downwind of a cluster of fire pits, complained of health hazards linked to diminished air quality caused by the sooty particulate, and demanded the removal of 60 fire rings. Their protests expanded into a SoCal-wide legal battle that affected all beach bonfire areas and played out like a modern-day French Revolution. The proletariat pit fire proponents declared that the proposed ban was a classist effort to shut out the 99 percenters’ beach access. The wealthy homeowners cited reports from the South Coast Air Quality Management District to support their claims. After legislation to keep the coastal bonfires open was unanimously approved by the State Assembly in 2014, a compromise was reached out of court to locate the wood-burning fires at least 700 feet away from any private residences.
Info
Address Dockweiler Beach, 12000 Vista del Mar, Playa del Rey, CA 90293, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=617 | Getting there Paid beach lots, $6–$13, lots close at 10pm; metered street parking | Hours Daily 6am–10pm| Tip The Tripel (333 Culver Boulevard, Playa del Rey, CA 90293), just over 3 miles north, rethinks American dining with tantalizing small plates like truffle salted nuts and artisanal house-made pickles. Bigger bites, burgers, salads, and an impressive selection of craft beers and cocktails are on the menu too.
Dockweiler Beach, just west of LAX, is one of only two beaches in LA that allows for bonfires in designated cement rings (the other is Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro). Arrive early for the best chance of securing a pit. The sites are at a premium on summer weekends and holidays. Only nontreated wood without nails or paint is permitted to burn. Bring a flat grill and camp coffeepot if you want to heat water for hot beverages. Keep in mind, booze is prohibited and citations and fines are issued.
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