For Immediate Release: 6/1/2016

California State Parks Eliminates Wood Fires in a Number of San Diego Area Beaches

Contact:

Robin Greene

Robin.Greene@parks.ca.gov

(760) 720-7001

 

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Effective immediately, all wood burning fires are prohibited in four San Diego region state beaches where established fire rings are not provided. The new policy is intended to prevent injuries to visitors and reduce beach debris.

Illegal ground fires are a safety hazard for our visitors. In San Diego County, state beaches are left with unsightly and unsafe soot, coals, nails and lumber from pallets and construction. These items lie buried in the sand surrounding the very popular beach fire areas like South Carlsbad State Beach at South Ponto. Coals are used by vandals to deface the city of Carlsbad maintained seawall and worse yet, hot coals buried in the sand remain hot for days and cause harmful and often serious burn injuries to beach visitors.

“Our intent is not to eliminate the traditional activity of gathering on the beach around a warming campfire with friends and family,” said California State Parks’ San Diego Coast District Superintendent Robin Greene. “California State Parks invites the public to continue this tradition, but by using low cost, portable propane fire grills available for purchase from various retailers. The use of these types of grills will not only improve safety, but they will also improve the cleanliness of our state beaches.”

Beach visitors are being asked to plan ahead and obtain a clean burning, portable propane fire grill or butane burner with stable legs that can be raised at least six inches off the ground or sand. The use of nail-filled pallets, wood logs, kerosene, oil, charcoal briquettes, fire logs, newspapers or trees is prohibited. Charcoal grills are also phased out by this action at most beaches.

The order will not affect wood fires and charcoal barbecue fires in provided campsite fire rings at South Carlsbad and San Elijo State Beach campgrounds. The fire rings in each campsite provide for safe fire containment and disposal of coals and ash. State Parks is unable to place maintained fire rings on all beaches maintained by State Parks due to Accessibility and Coastal Commission requirements and lack of available sand space on its North County beaches.

Below is a list of the new fire rules by beach or campground (items are listed in alphabetical order by name of beach):

 

Name of State Beach or Campground

 

RULES

Cardiff State Beach
  • Propane fires only on the beach. 
  • No wood or charcoal.
  • BBQ limited to propane only.

 

Carlsbad State Beach
  • Propane fires only. 
  • No wood or charcoal.
  • BBQ limited to propane only.

 

Leucadia State Beach

Operated by city of Encinitas
  • No fire rings or BBQ provided.
  • No fires or BBQs allowed.

 

Moonlight

Operated by city of Encinitas
  • Fires in city provided fire rings only. 
  • BBQ limited to city-provided BBQ.

 

Oceanside Harbor

City of Oceanside

 
  • Beach fires allowed in provided fire rings only.

 

San Elijo State Beach

 
  • Propane fires only on the beach. 
  • No wood or charcoal.
  • BBQ limited to propane only.

 

San Elijo State Beach

Campground

Fire rings are provided and the following restrictions apply:

  • Treated wood and wood pallets are prohibited. 

 

Silver Strand State Beach
  • Beach fires allowed in provided fire rings only. 

 

Silver Strand State Beach

Campground

 
  • Portable fire pits/ stoves are permitted within assigned campsites on the asphalt if the stove is self-standing and has a minimum clearance of 6" between the ground and bottom of the stove.  

 

  • Coals and ashes must be disposed of properly in a"Hot Coals"container or removed fromt he park. 

 

South Carlsbad State Beach
  • Propane fires only.
  • No wood or charcoal.
  • BBQ limited to propane only.

 

South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

Fire rings are provided and the following restrictions apply:

  • Treated wood and wood pallets are prohibited.  

 

Torrey Pines State Beach
  • Propane or charcoal fires in portable cooking units only on the beach.
  • Coals and ashes must be disposed of properly in a"Hot Coals"container or removed from the park. 
  • No wood fires.

 

Torrey Pines State

Natural Reserve

 
  • No fires or BBQ allowed.

 

 

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California State Parks provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.