fire pits, saved!

After much debate (or, community sand throwing,) the fire pits have been saved by an anonymous donor. Pledging $259,500 to maintain the fire pits for the next year and a half, said donor asked not to be identified to the public. In turn, many have dubbed him “Secret Santa.”

Per the mayor’s office, “not a frequent user of the fire pits,” Secret Santa “wanted children to be able to experience the joys of a bonfire on the beach.”

Personally, I can’t thank the selfless anonymous donor (graced with eternal ocean karma) enough for allowing my children this simple coastal pleasure.

Since the announcement, viewers of this blog have shared the following sentiments:

Dominique Naegele-Clifford : Thank you, anonymous donor. There will be a nice warm fire waiting for me on the beach when I return home. Happy Days and even happier nights!

Betsy McCue : Awesome. Happy holidays, San Diego. Bless the good soul who saved the fire pits!

Currently, to protect future cuts beyond the span of the donation, a fund has been created to support the fire pit program. More information can be found at SaveTheFirePits.com

That being said, with the return of this coastal privilege, comes great fire pit responsibility.

Here are some basic tips:

- Burn only clean, unprocessed natural wood. In other words, please leave your toxic planks (riddled with nails) at home.

- DO NOT TOSS ANYTHING INTO THE FIRE. This includes cans, bottles, beach chairs, explosives, and yourself.

- Keep extra tinder/kindling (and all flammables) a safe distance away from the blaze.

- When the first S’more is roasted and ready for testing, call me.

- At the end of the night, extinguish the fire with ocean water (and, remove all trash.)

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