Before even lighting that bonfire, you must check with local authorities on the legalities of building bonfires on beaches. Most areas have strict laws prohibiting bonfires or require you to have a permit to build a bonfire. So, unless you are game to head to jail, talk with the local law enforcement first.
Once you have all the paperwork necessary for your beach bonfire, careful planning must be done to ensure a successful bonfire. If you have never made a bonfire before, you can research proper structural techniques on the internet to ensure you have a nice size blaze going.
Bring your own wood, newspaper and kilning to the site, as wood around the beach area may be too wet to burn, and have you spending more time trying to light the fire, instead of enjoying it. Be sure to bring matches and a bit of lighter fluid, in case you don’t think you can get the fire started without a little bit of help.
Once you have the structure built, with paper and kilning on the inside, to help set the fire, make sure you have a fire extinguisher or several buckets of water on hand, in case something should get out of hand. Try to maintain a safe distance from any other flammable items on the beach, like vegetation and trash. The farther you are from dangerous materials, the better. You can even have buckets of sand ready by your beach bonfire, as it can be used to extinguish the fire as well.
Try to keep guests from playing with the bonfire! While you may think you are safe being on sand, fire can be tricky and spread without warning. So make sure that there is at least one person in charge of monitoring the fire and make sure that they are completely sober.
As long as everyone maintains a safe distance from the bonfire and plenty of safety mechanisms are in place, the evening should be delightful.
