Update posted by KTLA:
The Newport Beach City Council approved a plan Tuesday night to bring wood-burning fire pits back to some local beaches.
Original post by LATimes:
The debate over wood-burning fire pits on the seashore is being rekindled in Newport Beach, where city leaders are considering again allowing the popular oceanfront bonfires at some beaches.
If the Newport Beach City Council approves plans Tuesday evening, 60 wood-burning fire rings could ultimately be returned to beaches in Balboa and Corona del Mar.
The debate over the wood-burning fire rings began in Newport Beach when residents complained about the smoke billowing into their neighborhoods and then quickly mushroomed into a statewide air quality issue. The bonfires, though, remain deeply nostalgic to some who see them as a time-honored diversion for beach visitors.
Newport Beach switched the fire rings to charcoal only 10 months ago to comply with South Coast Air Quality Management District rules.
Click here to read the full story at LATimes.com.