Carmel considers propane-only bonfires at beach

The City of Carmel is considering a one-year ban on all wood-burning fires on their beach.

Going to Carmel Beach for s’mores over a bonfire has always been a tradition for Andrae Amparano-Ochoa and his family. One thing that has changed though: how they get their fire going.

“It’s kind of a hassle to lug it out here and connect everything up, get everything started,” said Amparano-Ochoa, a Salinas resident. “I mean, it’s easier to just bring a piece of wood, light it up and there you go.”

In 2016, Carmel adopted a pilot program that restricted the number of wood-burning fires to 12 on city-supplied fire rings. It came after residents along the coast complained these fires worsened the air quality and the quality of the sand.

“There was one July Fourth where we counted nearly 150, and someone has also said there was upwards of 200 fires at one point,” said Brad Peterson, a Carmel resident.

There is no limit on the number of propane-fueled fires, which are allowed year-round. But a few residents say even with only 12 wood-burning fires, there is still too much smoke.

“So the council’s going to be hearing that public testimony and considering making modifications that could include going the propane-only option,” said Marc Wiener, the community planning director for Carmel.

“I mean I think I’m open to the propane deal as well for the safety. However, if you get responsible citizens out here, then it would work,” said Amparano-Ochoa. “I’ve been out here when we did our wood-burning bonfire as well, and people would come around and check on us and see that we’re doing things correct. And I think that should still be a priority.”

Wiener says it is unlikely the council would vote to ban all fires in any form on the beach. And while residents understand it is a hot issue, they are glad the city is taking a look at it.

“Putting a cap was a smart move, so I think that did certainly improve things dramatically. I think also the fire rings took care of most of the problems with the sand,” said Peterson. “And it seems like a logical next step to try propane. It’s cleaner, you don’t have as much of the cost of emptying out the ashes. So I think it’s worth a try anyway.”

Over 90 percent of beaches in California do not allow wood-burning fires. It costs Carmel about $95,000 a year to maintain and enforce the existing fire rings on the beach.