County offers $135k grant to save San Diego's fire pits
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava announced Thursday a last-ditch effort to save the city's beachside fire rings from the budgetary chopping block.
The county has committed to provide $135,000 in stopgap funding from the Community Enhancement Grant Program to maintain the beloved fire pits through the next fiscal year, covering services like ash removal, debris disposal and safety compliance checks.
This work to the rings — located throughout Fiesta Island, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Mission Bay and La Jolla — was one of the proposed cuts included in Mayor Todd Gloria's budget draft to help the city close a more than $250 million budget deficit.
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Some residents of the impacted coastal neighborhoods were incensed by the proposed cut, arguing the fire rings are a core part of the city's culture.
Others, however, expressed being more open to it. Supporters of the cuts described the rings as a relative nuisance due to their smoke and some residents' use of them to burn items like trash and furniture.
Lawson-Remer explained in a statement the stopgap funding is intended to give the city the opportunity to work out a permanent solution to maintain the fire rings' funding moving forward.
'I believe in protecting the places that bring us together. These fire pits are part of our shared story as San Diegans – places where people connect across generations and backgrounds,' she said. 'This offer is about giving the community time to come together around a long-term solution, without losing an asset that matters so much to our region.'
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The city will still need to formally accept on the grant. It is expected to be discussed as part of the City Council's Budget Committee Meeting on Friday, when they will be parsing through their proposed revisions to Gloria's proposal.
'Generations of San Diegans, including my family, have gathered around fire rings to celebrate, reflect, and build community,' said LaCava in a statement. 'This grant will allow the city to re-focus on locating the fire pits and ensuring they are used responsibly.'
The council will have until June 10 to approve a finalized budget for the next fiscal year, which begins in July.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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