East Hampton Town Set to Ban Fires on the Sand

A new law dictating that all beach fires be built in a metal container, and not directly on the sand, will be the subject of a hearing before the East Hampton Town Board on Aug. 6.

An increasing amount of charred debris and fire remains strewn across the sand, turning once-white beaches grey, and increasing litter and safety concerns for those walking barefoot across the beach in the daylight hours, is one among the many challenges wrought by the burgeoning summer population in the town.

Such issues are coming to a head this summer, with Montauk residents calling on town officials to pull out all the stops to rein in unacceptable behavior and illegal activities in that hamlet, ground zero for the party scene.

Town officials discussed enacting the new beach fire regulation several weeks ago after a young child burned her feet on embers in the sand. After a meeting in Montauk on Tuesday where hundreds of residents turned out to air concerns about that and other issues, the board voted on Thursday night to set the beach fire hearing. The hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

A similar law was passed by East Hampton Village several years ago.

The proposed requirement, according to the board resolution, will help those who enjoy beach fires “to better comply with existing regulations which require the fire to be properly and completely extinguished and the debris properly and completely disposed of to restore the site to its natural condition.”