Fire on Oceanside Pier continues to smoulder on day 2 – NBC 7 San Diego

For Day 1 coverage of the fire on the Oceanside Pier, click here

After fighting through the night, dozens of fire crews continued to work Friday by land and sea to extinguish a massive blaze that engulfed the end of the long-standing Oceanside Pier.

A steady smolder continued Friday as crews were still hosing the pier, in contrast to the thick plume of dark smoke that rose around the North County coastal city at around 3 p.m. the day before. Fire officials told NBC 7 that there were four firefighting boats and two rescue boats in the water as they were still pouring water early morning.

“We are not going to declare the fire under control just yet, but we are almost there,” Oceanside Fire Chief David Parsons said. A fire deputy chief was on site on a helicopter getting intel on the status of the fire. The city is also using drones to get a visual underneath the pier.

Arson investigators are at the scene and say nothing has been ruled out. Parsons said investigators have narrowed down a point of origin at the old Ruby’s location.

“There was a new vendor that was doing some remodeling. We were getting ready to hopefully have a new restaurant open, so it was in the process of that tenant improvement,” Parsons said.

During the night, Parsons told NBC 7 that crews decided to step back and let the fire burn as it had been burning in some hard-to-reach areas.

“At some point in the evening, we made the decision to stop water application for a bit and that is why you saw some flames at certain points in the evening. There was a roof collapse of the restaurant building but no additional damage to the pier itself,” Parsons said. “We are estimating that 90% of the pier is undamaged by the fire.”

Officials were also concerned about a sewage tank that was suspended underneath the deck, but as of Friday morning it was reported that there was no damage to the tank and no spillage occurred.

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a safety zone for the pier and the beach and no one is allowed within 500 yards of the pier.

Firefighters were first called shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday to battle the inferno at the building that once was the site of Ruby’s Diner. The diner has stood empty since the business closed three years ago. The Brine Box, the business right next door was open when the fire began.

“Chef Rachel saw smoke coming up from underneath the pier, behind the old Ruby’s building,” Jessica Waite, the co-owner of the Brine Box, told NBC 7. “Thankfully, everyone was evacuated safely. We are so sad to see this happening.”

Fire-fighting boats arrived on the scene shooting water cannons at the structure at the end of the pier, where it broadens to support two structures and is called the hammerhead. There were also fire crews posted up at the foot of the pier with hoses running the length of the pier.

Over at the coast, people had started to congregate to watch the blaze, with some posing for selfies with the historic structure aflame behind them.

Over the next several hours, a helicopter jointly operated by Cal Fire and the San Diego Sheriff’s Department arrived to make a water drop on the structure fire, a very rare sight. San Diego Fire Rescue’s new Triton firefighting vessel also arrived to aid in the efforts. Carlsbad, Vista, North County Fire and Camp Pendleton all sent ground crews to help out as well, officials told NBC 7.

Businesses and restaurants near the pier, including the Famous High Pie at the Top Gun House, were closed because of the onshore winds carrying smoke and ash to the coastline, the pie shop’s operator told NBC 7.

Officials provided an update of the Oceanside Pier fire during a news conference around 5 p.m. on April 25, 2024.

Speaking at a news conference at around 5 p.m., Oceanside fire chief David Parsons said lifeguards were the first to report the fire and firefighters arrived five minutes later. He also stated that the main body of the fire had essentially been knocked down and that they were now focusing on keeping it under control, though the deck was still burning, which is where firefighters were concentrating their efforts.

By 10 p.m., crews were still battling the active fire on the restaurant building and the pier and boats were still in the water, according to Chief Blake Dorse with the Oceanside Fire Department. Fire crews also removed several planks of the pier and created a 5-foot trench going across the width of the pier to help stop the fire from spreading east.

The Emergency Operation Center in Oceanside is operating at Level 3- minimal level and is coordinating at the county and also working with San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguards and Harbor Patrol.

Last year, the city of Oceanside spent $5.5 million to upgrade aging pipes and electrical systems on the pier, which is 1,954 feet long. The wooden structure was first built in 1888 but has been destroyed twice in its lifetime, once in 1890 by rough seas and, after it was rebuilt, again in 1902.

Thursday’s fire is not the first building to burn on the site: In 1976 “a fire broke out in the Pier Fish Market, located halfway out on the pier and in December the Pier Cafe was completely destroyed by fire,” according to the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. The current pier was built in 1987.

There were no immediate reports of any injuries. Sanchez, who said the city would rebuild, stated at the news conference that all employees had been accounted for.

Parsons, the fire chief, said that investigators were on the scene but that a cause may not be determined for days.

The fire on the Oceanside Pier drew a crowd on the shore, and many tourists and neighbors watched in disbelief as the fire kept burning. NBC 7’s Jeanette Quezada reports on April 25, 2024.

No other information was available.

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