Bonfires & What To Expect

Permitting:

Whenever you decide that you would like to book a beach bonfire, the first and most important thing to make sure is that there is permit availability. Bonfire permits become available 14 Days before your desired date for a bonfire. With that being said, booking ahead of time allows us more of an opportunity to ensure permit availability. Booking within two weeks of your desired date could lead to limited options for permitting. Even if you book in advance we still suggest selecting two potential access points for your desired bonfire location to ensure we are able to get a permit. The permits are $105 and are paid to South Walton Fire Department. These permits are nonrefundable once booked.

Fire Regulations:

All of our bonfire attendants are required to adhere to all of the beach ordinances regarding bonfires in Walton County. Some of these ordinances can affect availability for certain accesses regarding bonfires. The first thing that we have to consider is that we are required to be 50 Ft from the edge of the dune line, and also not be set up on the wet sand. Occasionally due to high tide, surge, inclement weather, etc some accesses may not have enough depth to be able to do a bonfire. The next thing we have to consider is Turtle Nests. Turtle season runs from May 1st - October 31st. Whenever a nest appears on one of our beautiful beaches, depending on the size of the access all bonfire permits could be suspended until the turtle eggs hatch. On larger beach accesses, they may still allow for bonfires, but we must maintain 250 Ft from the nest. Penalties for setting up near a turtle nest are severe. Another ordinance that we must enforce is that there is absolutely NO GLASS allowed on any beach in Walton County. The fine for an individual is $500 for having a glass container on the sand. Please keep this in mind when packing your cooler for the evening. Finally, the last ordinance that we have to follow is that we are not allowed to set up any equipment until 5PM during peak season (March 1st - October 31st), and 4 PM in the post season (November 1st - February 28th.

The Setup:

About 2 hours prior to the start, one our team members will load up a truck or trailer with all the necessary equipment for a picture perfect 30A Beach Bonfire. This equipment includes a regulation sized metal fire pit, 6 foot folding card table with table cloth, up to 6 tiki torches, wooden beach lounge chairs, s'mores fixings, speaker, and corn hole boards if requested. They will also have gear to start the fire as well as plenty of wood to keep that fire burning. We begin the actual setup about an hour before your selected start time, and have everything ready to go by the time you get down to the beach. Your bonfire attendant will reach out to you once everything is set up. We will light everything about 10-15 minutes before you come down.

The Fire:

Depending on how long you booked the fire for it can last anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. While at the fire have a great time, but also be courteous to other groups that may be having fires as well. You will have a fire attendant near by for the duration of the fire. You will see them coming back and forth to tend to the fire. If you need assistance of any kind that's your person to talk to. Remember these guys live on tips so try to remember to tip them at the end of the fire.

The Clean Up:

Like all good things, even our fires must come to an end. Once your fire is over try to make sure you clean up any trash or personal belongings around the fire. There will be a small trashcan at the fire as well as several near the tops of each beach access. Once your group depart the fire attendant will scoop the hot ashes into a metal bucket and pour water on them to cool off. They will carry all equipment of the beach and allow fire pit time to cool. Once it is cooled we will carry it off the beach. We always double check to make sure all trash and wood debris is cleaned up after the fire. We want to make sure we keep 30A beautiful.