Laguna Beach to consider ban on open fire pits

Could you get busted for having an open fire pit at your home in Laguna Beach? Maybe. The Laguna Beach City Council is scheduled to consider a fire pit ban Tuesday.

Open fire pits and tiki torches may add ambience to your yard, but some people argue that the flames make them too dangerous. The Laguna Beach City Council will consider changing the city’s fire code so it bans or limits fire pits and other open flames.

It wouldn’t include amenities like barbecue grills or backyard fireplaces, where the flames are contained. Certain restaurants and businesses with fire pits could get exemptions.

The city’s considering either a full prohibition or a ban within a certain number of feet from buildings. It’s concerned that decorative outdoor fire features could pose hazards when it’s windy and dry.

Santa Ana winds swept an arson-set firestorm through Laguna Beach 17 years ago that destroyed nearly 400 homes.