I set up bonfires on the beach. I am all about the rules. The county has made many changes throughout the years. They make new changes each year actually. Its becoming more and more strict. An illegal bonfire would first be noticeable by the location. It cannot be on private property if its not allowed by the homeowner. Another way to spot an illegal bonfire would be to see where it is located within a public beach access. The county set a rule in place where private bonfires and bonfires set up by a vendor are divided into different spaces. Another way to spot an illegal bonfire would be if it is not in a controlled bonfire pit. If it is directly in the sand please call the police or code enforcement. I dont like to see ignorant people trashing my beaches. My company
The Rental Shop actually goes by the rules. Also the county has hired more and more code enforcement staff each year. I am very happy about this. Most vendors are very good about abiding by the rules. There are a few who have not followed the rules at some times. But that is when code enforcement shows up and gives them a ticket. The good thing is that if they get enough tickets they are done. The good thing about events or weddings on the beach is that it brings in tourism which this county needs to survive financially. Unfortunately this area needs the tourism to pay most residents monthly bills. I know the idea of nothing on the beach sounds great, (I get it) however if we didnt offer these things we wouldnt have as many people coming here. Weddings bring in big business. The wedding industry is booming on the beaches of South Walton. As long as there is rules and guidelines I think everything will be fine. For example SWFD doesnt issue bonfire permits to certain accesses once they have met the limit. They deny requests for permits based on the amount of fires or people that will be present at an access. They also dont allow vendors to buy a bonfire permit unless it is within 2 weeks of the bonfire date. This is also a great idea. Hope this info helps. There are vendors who care and do things the right way.
