LEWES, Del. - The City of Lewes Parks and Recreation Commission decided Monday to take no action to restrict or ban beach bonfires, despite a formal letter of concern from a longtime resident.
In a Sept. 19 letter addressed to Interim Commission Chair Kay Carnahan, George H. Slick, a property owner in the Ocean House condominiums since 1986, called for an outright ban on beach bonfires, citing health and environmental hazards.
"I am enclosing a copy of a 2022 letter with this communication in the hope that in your deliberations regarding beach rules, you will act to ban the dangerous, unhealthy and ecologically negative beach bonfires on the Lewes beaches," Slick wrote.
Slick's concerns include the health effects of wood smoke exposure and reports of people dumping live coals into the bay. During a recent visit to Lewes, he observed "as many as three bonfires per evening" and questioned the city’s oversight.
But not everyone agrees with the idea of a ban.
Jim Kirlin, co-owner of Beachin Bash, a local beach event planning company, said such a move would hurt both businesses and visiting families.
"There’s other small businesses, but in the long run, you’re going to be hurting families," Kirlin said. "They create memories, because there’s not many beaches left that allow bonfires."
He also warned that banning bonfires could open the door to broader restrictions.
"There’s a lot of things down here that you could say negatively impact," Kirlin said. "What are you going to do next? Is alcohol on the list? Riding bicycles across the street because a car can hit me?"
During the meeting, there was some back-and-forth between the city, Mr. Slick, and a spokesperson for Quest. Quest says they are not dumping ashes, and the city says it was not previously aware of the reports.
