PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Steve Alex, a DPW worker, looks at the catch basins that are going to be used for fire pits on the beach in Swampscott.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
SWAMPSCOTT — Beach goers who want to barbeque can get cooking as early as this weekend.
Following a two year ban, the Board of Selectmen approved the concept last week. Four concrete fire pits will be placed at Phillips Beach and two at Fisherman’s Beach. Burning will be limited between the hours of 6 and 11 p.m.
Town Administrator Thomas Younger said fires haven’t been allowed on the beach for the past two years. But officials listened to residents who wanted the fires back. Phillips and Fisherman’s are the only two beaches where there have been fires, leading them to be chosen for the pits, he added.
“The feeling was it brings friends and family together to utilize the beach for evening activity,” Younger said.
DPW Director Gino Cresta said the 3-foot in diameter and 3-foot deep concrete pits will be installed by Friday to allow fires to begin this weekend. The $1,200 pits will be buried two feet in the ground.
On Phillips Beach, the structures will be behind Palmer Pond between the high tide mark and the grass. At Fisherman’s Beach, they will probably be placed in front of the walls and antique cannon.
The cooking fires are a loophole in Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) regulations, which limits open burning from January 15 to May 1. Outdoor cooking is allowed year-round and is not subject to open burning limits, according to state law.
Residents who want to enjoy a beach fire will need a permit from the Swampscott Fire Prevention Bureau and pay a $50 deposit. Once permission is granted, a placard will be given to mark their fire. If they leave a clean area after their event, the deposit will be returned. The fire must be attended to at all times by an adult who lives in town.
Swampscott Fire Chief Kevin Breen said the department has been issuing beach cooking permits for about a decade. Two years ago, he said there were so many fires and people were leaving debris behind, that the department just decided to stop them. For the past two seasons, anyone that had fires were told to put them out and leave the beach.
Breen said this summer’s fires will be a trial. If they become a nuisance, the fire department will shut them down again. Only six permits can be issued per day, matching the number of fire pits.
“We expect that demand will frequently outstrip the supply,” Breen said. “We just ask people to be patient and work with us.”
Regulating or extinguishing the fires will be a judgment call by shift commanders, who will make a determination whether there’s an excessive amount of smoke being produced, he added.
“I foresee that there will be some wrinkles,” he said. “I’m optimistic that we can work around the problems.”
Amy Friend Roberts, a Swampscott resident, opposes beach fires. She said the pits will be an eyesore on Phillips Beach. Fires will be an issue for people with health-related issues. She can’t enjoy her property when there is an outdoor fire burning near her house, she added.
“For me, I can’t breathe,” Roberts said. “It’s a problem.”
The selectmen will be reviewing how well the beach fires went in September to see if the policy will continue next summer.
But others favor the idea.
Emily Pierro said the small cooking fire rules can be enforced. She expressed confidence in the police and fire departments and residents.
“We have to give it a try,” she said.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley
