With six rings at the beach, two placed in front of the playground and lifeguard station, concerns are again raised about smoke toxicity in La Jolla.

The appearance of new fire rings at La Jolla Shores is reigniting debate over their placement due to the toxicity of bonfire smoke.

Three rings, also called fire pits by some, were installed at summer’s beginning per usual by the city of San Diego. The cement fire rings are the only allowed place for beach bonfires.

The fire rings almost remained in storage, however, cut from the city’s budget at all beaches and bays to address a deficit.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer announced a new partnership in June that reversed the cut, offering a grant to fund fire rings through June 30, 2026.

Since then, three more fire rings have been dropped off by the city, and some members of the La Jolla Shores Association are concerned about the effects of the bonfire smoke.

Beach bonfire smoke is toxic, according to LJSA member and Scripps Institution of Oceanography biogeochemist Meinrat (Andi) Andreae. 

Andreae has worked for years to measure air pollution caused by fires at Shores beaches daily, noting levels there are well above global standards for healthy air.

This summer, one of the newer rings was placed in front of the main lifeguard station at La Jolla Shores; another was placed in front of the Kellogg Park playground.

This is a violation of a years-old “verbal agreement” between some LJSA members and the city that the fire rings “are supposed to stay north of the lifeguard tower for pollution’s sake,” Andreae said.

The San Diego lifeguards also “made a request … to make sure that [the fire rings] didn’t go south of the lifeguard tower,” lifeguard Lt John Maher said at the July 16 LJSA meeting.

“I also asked them not to put it where our main tower is so we didn’t inhale the smoke,” he said.

Maher said he would request they be moved.

The city confirmed to lajolla.ca that there are six and up to seven fire rings placed seasonally at La Jolla Shores. 

The city “generally tries to keep them north of the playground at Kellogg and south of homes,” spokesperson Benny Cartwright said.

There are currently no plans to move the fire rings further north, however, though there is the potential to move them.