Lewes resident raises red flag over beach bonfires

As a 40-year resident of Ocean House, the condo building at East Savannah Road and Bayview Avenue, Dr. George Slick has had a front-row balcony seat to everything that happens on Lewes’ main beach.

He said he has been warning the city for almost five years about the health dangers from bonfire smoke and the environmental impact of dumping hot embers into the bay. He included articles that, he said, prove his points.

Now, Slick wants the city to ban beach bonfires.

“There are more and more bonfires every night, sometimes three or four at a time. The atmosphere gets quite smoky,” Slick said at the Oct. 20 parks & recreation commission meeting. “I see no reason for a bunch of visitors coming in there and smoking us out.”

In a 2022 letter to then-Mayor Andrew Williams, Slick said he suffers from COPD and his wife also has breathing issues.

Slick also said he has witnessed embers being discarded in the bay, which the city prohibits.

“We noticed that two of the fires were moving toward the water. We could not see how the burning embers were moving or what was being used to move them, but we were able to determine that when those glowing embers reached the edge of the water, they disappeared from view. One can only assume that they were dumped into the bay waters,” Slick stated in his 2022 letter to the city.

Matt Carter, owner of Quest Adventures, one of the vendors that provides bonfire services, said his company does not dump embers into the bay.

He brought a fire pit to the meeting and offered to demonstrate how they set up and clean up from a bonfire.

Carter said they pack up the ashes in a bucket, along with any unused firewood, and take them to a farm. He said their goal is to keep the beaches clean.

“Could there be a piece of coal, sure, I’m not going to lie, but it’s generally ‘leave no trace.’ You wouldn’t know that we were even there,” Carter said.

Carter said clients who do not follow their rules, like leaving a bonfire unattended, are fined $75.

Beach bonfires have become a lucrative revenue source for the city.

Permits cost $25 to $50, depending on the number of people attending the bonfire.

As of Oct. 21, there have been 992 beach bonfires in calendar year 2025. The city has collected $24,125, according to Giulia Kirsch, Parks & Recreation administrator.

Kirsch said in 2024, despite a burn ban from Oct. 16 to Nov. 25, the city brought in $20,675 from 868 bonfires.

She said the city works primarily with three vendors who acquire the permits and provide setup and cleanup. Individuals can get permits on their own.

Kirsch said there are strict rules for burning and extinguishing bonfires:

• Burn in closed container, not directly on sand

• No dumping embers in the bay

• All bonfires must have a permit

• Bonfires allowed 4 p.m. to midnight in the off-season, 6 p.m. to midnight in the summer.

Commissioners were quick to throw cold water on the idea of a ban.

“The prevailing winds in Lewes are from the south, so that would carry the smoke out to sea, and not be a danger to individuals,” said Commissioner Barry Dunkin. “I would be more concerned about people burning fireplaces than a few bonfires a few months of the year.”

“Mr. Slick is correct that breathing woodfire smoke can contribute to serious health concerns, but it is also clear that the frequency, proximity and duration of exposure has a lot to do with the danger,” said Commissioner Rodney Robinson. “I’m not convinced that bonfires on Savannah Beach present a danger. Those on the beach can distance themselves; those in homes are protected by a large parking lot.” 

Commissioners agreed that dumping embers into the bay is not acceptable.

The commission did not take any action on the bonfire issue.