South Walton Bonfire Rules & Requirements
- Thread starter myeon55
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A permit from South Walton Fire Department is required.
There are a lot of local companies that can do it all for you - they will handle the permit, set up and clean up. Just search "bonfire" on this forum or "SoWal bonfire" on Google.
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South Walton Beach Rules and Safety Information
Beach Bonfire Guidelines
You must get a permit and pay a fee, and of course clean it all up! Call SoWal Fire District at 850-267-1298 to obtain a permit and learn about guidelines for having a bonfire on the beach - http://swfd.org.
Permits can be obtained for any South Walton beach public access. Applicants wishing to obtain a permit for a private location must present written permission from the property owner during the application process.
The person obtaining the permit must be present during the hours of the bonfire. The approved bonfire permit must be presented upon request of a Fire Official or Law Enforcement Officer. The South Walton Fire District reserves the right to check for permit compliance at any time.
PERMIT FEE: $50.00 Cash or Check. (This must be collected during normal business hours at our Administrative Office prior to the issuance of the permit.)
Credit Cards are accepted with a convenience fee.
Most of our locations have a limit on the quantity of bonfires each night. The permits are first come, first served.
If you need assistance with this process our Administrative office is open Monday through Friday, between 8a.m. and 4p.m. at:
South Walton Fire District
911 N County Highway 393
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
850-267-1307
email to beachbonfire@swfd.org
AGE REQUIREMENTS:
Participants under the age of 18 must be chaperoned by an adult EIGHTEEN (18) years of age or older. FOR SUCH GROUPS, THE PERMIT WILL ONLY BE ISSUED TO THE CHAPERONE. Children should be accompanied by an adult at all times when near a recreational fire.
WEATHER:
Unsuitable wind or weather conditions must be taken into consideration prior to and during the actual bonfire; adverse conditions may cause the revocation of this permit.
Refunds or rainchecks are not granted on the permits, so please plan your event carefully.
SET UP:
Servicing of the bonfire site will be accomplished by hand carrying the equipment and supplies to the site. Vehicles shall not service the bonfire site (unless you have a beach vehicle permit).
MATERIAL:
Flammable and/or combustible liquids must not be utilized for fueling the bonfires. Use paper and matches rather than lighter fluid/gasoline to ignite your fire.
Bonfire material must not consist of salt treated lumber, tar paper, contents containing any rubber products, creosote treated lumber, glue impregnated material, plastic, foam, and household trash. All burn material shall be free of nails/ metals.
Bonfire material must be placed in a metal burn barrel or tub. Keep minimum of (3) feet clearance from the outer edge of the barrel at all times. Material should be stacked no higher than four (4) feet.
SITE REQUIREMENTS:
Bonfires must be at least 100 feet away from habitable structures and a minimum of 50 feet away from vehicles, public roads, other structures, plants and vegetation.
EXTINGUISHMENT:
Upon completion of the bonfire, all ashes and leftover material must be thoroughly wet down and removed from the beach. Material and/or hot ashes shall not be buried in the sand or disposed of in a trash dumpster.
Keep a garden hose, bucket of water or other extinguishing device nearby.
CLEAN UP AND RESTORATION:
Cleanup and restoration of the site must be completed by the expiration date and time set forth by this permit. The person obtaining the permit is responsible for providing the trash bags, removing of the trash and placing all the trash in the proper containers.
PENALTIES:
Persons that light a beach bonfire without a permit are in violation of SWFD and Walton County Ordinances. Penalties for this violation are as follows:
- First Violation - $200.00
- Second Violation - $300.00
- Third and Subsequent Violations - Fine up to $500.00 and/or up to 60 days in jail.
Are you out of town and wish to obtain a beach bonfire permit? Call our office at 850-267-1298, M-F between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and we can assist you with our new PayPal account payment option. There has been a convenience fee added to this feature.
