Laguna Beach tables Aliso Beach fire pits discussion, adds observation camera

Laguna Beach is now eight months into its tenure as operator of the beaches in South Laguna after assuming control of them from Orange County, but some residents are still hoping that some of the old ways will return.

The territory the city took over from the county March 1 spans Aliso, Camel Point, Laguna Royale, Table Rock, Thousand Steps, Totuava and West Street beaches.

Plans to reinstall wood-burning fire pits at Aliso Beach returned as a topic of discussion at the City Council meeting on Oct. 24. City staff reported fire pits at the location were either removed by the county prior to the transfer of ownership, or they were lost due to storm activity.

A proposed ordinance that would allow for the public to use wood-burning fire pits on a first-come, first-served basis was tabled by the council until a coastal development permit for the installation could be obtained. Marine Safety Captain Kai Bond said the city is looking at installing up to four wood-burning fire pits, which would come at an estimated cost of $15,000.

The panel heard arguments for and against wood-burning fire pits.

Billy Fried, a resident who said he had used the previously existing pits for a couple decades in connection with a full-moon drum circle group, applauded the city for considering the reinstallation of wood-burning fire pits and said four represented a good start.

“Having four is still going to create a demand problem,” Fried said. “If you guys aren’t familiar, this is a first-come, first-served program. People arrive at dawn, and they sit and squat all day long. That’s how coveted these fire pits are.”

In May, the council advised city staff to devise a plan for a mix of wood-burning and propane fire pits at Aliso Beach. Lost Pier, a business on the beach, has a rental program for propane fire pits.

“I do understand there’s a history of having those fire pits there, but I think what makes this beach so unique is that it does exist in the very high fire hazard severity zone,” Fire Chief Niko King said. “If you look at Orange County, it’s one of the few beaches where that zone, dictated by the state, assessed through fire history, the vegetation, the weather patterns, they placed it in that zone.

“When I do go down there, having the Class A combustibles, burning of wood, something that’s going to have embers cast during the wind events that we do have would absolutely put that hillside at risk. … That’s why it would be my advice to not have the Class A wood-burning fire pits.”

The county had previously operated an observation camera affixed to a light pole at Aliso Beach, but that had also been removed. Council members approved a new camera and light pole, which will see $35,000 come out of the South Laguna fund.

While the camera will have 360-degree viewing capability, it will not be able to survey the entirety of the surrounding area at once, and it will be monitored on an as-needed basis, Marine Safety Chief Kevin Snow said. Its coverage area will include the capability to look at the Aliso Beach berm, the ocean and the parking lot.

“When we’re directed to or believe that we may have a recurring issue, we could take a look at that camera, monitor developing situations,” Snow said. “Historically in marine safety, what we use them for is to utilize our resources efficiently, so if we have recurring incidents, we can put staff in that particular area to change behavior or work on rescue activity or even do ordinance enforcement.”