A swank members-only beach club in Los Angeles is facing fierce backlash over its planned Fourth of July fireworks show – just months after devastating wildfires ripped through the local community.
The Beach Club in Santa Monica, located steps from the Palisades Fire burn zone, is pushing ahead with its celebration despite a citywide ban on fireworks and growing outrage from environmentalists, fire survivors, and city officials alike.
Meanwhile, just 30 miles away, in a notable departure from tradition, the city of Pasadena has canceled its annual fireworks show at the Rose Bowl, choosing instead to honor the community’s safety and recovery with a drone light show, following the destructive Eaton Fire earlier this year.
The Beach Club, however, is refusing to follow suit – much to the dismay of local residents, Daily Mail has learned.
The venue, located on Palisades Beach Road, is one of the last buildings before the Palisades burn zone and had a direct view of the massive blaze that destroyed over 23,000 acres and caused $25billion in damage in January.
Fireworks are banned in Santa Monica, but in a controversial workaround, locals say the private club used its adjacent parking lot – located just across the Santa Monica-LA border – to secure a fireworks permit through the Los Angeles Fire Department, allowing fireworks to be launched over Santa Monica beaches and directly above a fragile wildlife habitat.
The area is even marked with warning signs reading: ‘Please Keep Off. Habitat Restoration In Progress.’
Now, outraged activists and community leaders are railing against the explosives display, arguing that the club’s shifty tactic to obtain a fire permit not only undermines the city’s longtime ban on the beach, it also presents serious environmental and public safety risks to a community still reeling from disaster.
The exclusive members-only Beach Club in Santa Monica, located steps from the Palisades Fire burn zone, is pushing ahead with its fireworks celebration despite a citywide ban on explosives and growing outrage from the community
This photo of the Palisades Fire taken from outside The Beach Club shows how close the posh club came to being destroyed by the devastating blaze
‘Our beaches are still recovering from the environmental impacts of the Palisades Fire, which destroyed over 23,000 acres in January,’ said Ashley Oelsen, a commissioner with Santa Monica’s Sustainability, Environmental Justice, and the Environment Commission.
‘Significant damage and debris remain, with ash and toxins from burned homes along Pacific Coast Highway contaminating beaches stretching from Malibu to Venice.
‘We’re worried about contamination from fire debris in our water and sand, and now we’re adding air pollution, fire risk, and trauma to wildlife and pets.’
Guy Sherman, who lost his home in the fires, told Daily Mail: ‘People are still traumatized.
‘Fireworks are banned in Santa Monica for a good reason.
‘So why does this group get an exception? It’s not like they do the show for the community.
‘They do it for their paying members at the expense of others. It’s really quite shallow, to say the least.
‘There are other ways to celebrate that doesn’t involve polluting the beach and scaring all the animals, veterans and now people affected by the fires.’
Fourth of July decorations hang outside The Beach Club which reveres its annual fireworks show as an important tradition for its members who pay up to $85,000 in fees.
Despite Santa Monica’s ban on fireworks, The Beach Club has exploited a jurisdictional loophole by using a parking lot just across city lines to file a permit with LA City, according to locals
Fireworks from Marina del Rey are seen going off above a lifeguard tower in Santa Monica on Independence Day 2021
Oelsen pointed to the potential toxic effects of fireworks, which release harmful chemicals like aluminum, copper, and fine particulate matter – pollutants detrimental to marine life, air quality, and public health.
Last year, more than two dozen bottlenose dolphins were spotted just offshore moments before the club’s fireworks began. At the same time, a mother duck and her ducklings were seen frantically escaping the area, highlighting the distress caused to local wildlife.
Critics have also emphasized the fiscal and social implications.
The Beach Club is known for its discretion and its exclusivity, with a $75,000–$85,000 initiation fee, monthly dues, and limited membership capped at 650 families. It is far removed from the glitz and glamor normally associated with LA.
‘Its members are the type that frown on celebrities,’ said one person who has investigated the club.
Hollywood producers, finance execs, and entertainment moguls are among its ranksAXS TV President John Woldenberg, Randy Forbes, Jr., a real estate mogul with over $1billion in sales revenue, and Jack Nordstrom from the Nordstrom department store dynasty are all said to be members.
Its website is private, advertising is nonexistent, and members are reportedly barred from discussing club affairs with outsiders.
It is located on publicly leased land, generates some $20million annually, and maintains a tax-exempt status as a 501(c).
The fireworks are usually launched over Santa Monica beaches and directly above a fragile wildlife habitat
Today the area is marked with warning signs reading: ‘Please Keep Off. Habitat Restoration In Progress’
And unlike public events, The Beach Club’s fireworks display provides little economic benefit to local businesses, as it is exclusively planned and attended by private club members.
Having served as a leading voice for environmental protections throughout wildfire recovery in LA, Oelsen’s advocacy against fireworks became personal in 2021, when her Weimeraner Darwin was killed after being startled by an unannounced fireworks display at The Beach Club.
‘There was no public notification. In fact, just days before, Santa Monica released a video stating there would be no professional fireworks in the city,’ Oelsen recounted.
‘Darwin panicked, broke free, and was tragically hit by a car on Pacific Coast Highway.’
Since then, The Beach Club has implemented minor safety measures such as notifying a limited number of nearby residents and temporarily closing bike paths during fireworks displays.
Critics, however, see these steps as insufficient.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park, who has been involved in the Palisades Fire recovery, said while she supports community events and honoring local traditions, hosting a fireworks display this year is out of step.
‘In light of the devastating fires earlier this year, the thousands of families still picking up the pieces, the devastation to our sensitive environment, and all the fire safety work we are doing as a community, the timing and setting are simply not right,’ she told Daily Mail.
Environmental activist Ashley Oelsen has helped lead recovery efforts in LA but her advocacy against fireworks became personal after her beloved dog Darwin (pictured) was killed after panicking during an unannounced fireworks show at the club in 2021
Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete echoed the call, adding: ‘In times like these, community means everything.
‘Fireworks and seasonal celebrations hold a special place in our hearts, but many of our neighbors are still recovering and rebuilding. We must consider the risks of fire, environmental harm, and community trauma.
‘I hope local organizations like The Beach Club will lead with care and creativity, finding ways to celebrate that are safe, inclusive, and environmentally conscious.’
Local Michelle Mays, who lost her home in the Palisades Fire, believes that the planned fireworks display is not only dangerous, it’s also ‘rude and inconsiderate’.
‘We just experienced the worst fire this community has seen, and The Beach Club should know better than to have a fireworks show right next to the burn zone,’ she said.
‘Where have these club members been? Were they not witness to the countless seals, dolphins and birds that washed up dead on our shores because of toxic algae fueled by the fire debris?
‘It’s called selfish, clueless elitism! Ever heard of drones?’
Pasadena’s choice to replace fireworks with drone shows followed public sentiment that the pyrotechnics could be traumatic for residents, and is part of a broader trend towards more sustainable and safe celebrations.
The club’s plans for a fireworks display comes just months after devastating wildfires torched more than 23,000 acres nearby, leaving the local community traumatized and the coastline scarred
A local resident is seen sifting through his mother’s fire-ravaged property after the Palisades Fire in January
Cities nationwide, including nearby Long Beach, have also adopted drone technology to mitigate environmental damage, reduce fire risks, and prevent trauma for residents, veterans, and pets.
With community tensions high, the fate of future Beach Club fireworks show remains uncertain as the permit application was approved by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
In the meantime, local advocates continue urging city leaders to intervene, emphasizing the need for consistent safety standards and environmental stewardship for all.
‘After witnessing the pure terror that cost my dog her life, and watching the Palisades burn just beyond this same stretch of beach, I can’t understand how these fireworks are still considered acceptable,’ Oelsen said.
‘It shows how little The Beach Club values its neighbors and the very beach that makes their exclusive club so desirable. Our community is already traumatized.
‘To make matters worse, this isn’t even a public event; it only benefits private members.’
Neither the Los Angeles Fire Department nor The Beach Club responded to DailyMail.com’s requests for comment.