For day 2 coverage of the firefight to save the iconic Oceanside Pier, click here.
Firefighters were called out Thursday afternoon to battle an inferno at the far end of the iconic Oceanside Pier.
The fire was reported shortly after 3 p.m. and the firefight stretched overnight and into Friday.
A massive plume of smoke quickly filled the sky, and two fire-fighting boats arrived on 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. A lone lifeguard vehicle posted up at the foot of pier, with a long fire hose, possibly two, running the length of the pier.
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Although smoke obscured the scene, the building at the end of the pier was burning furiously. The structure was once the site of the Ruby's Diner, which has stood empty since the business closed three years ago. As SkyRanger 7 arrived overhead, smoke was blowing onshore the entire length of the structure.
"The Oceanside Fire Department is currently engaged in fighting a fire on the Oceanside Pier," OFD tweeted out at 3:14 p.m. "We are asking all citizens to please stay away from the immediate area."
At 4 o'clock, a third vessel had joined the fight as well as a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, but smoke continued to pour out all sides of the two-story building as well as beneath the pier, with only a few flames actually visible. Over at the coast, people had started to congregate to watch the conflagration, with some posing for selfies with the historic structure aflame behind them.
Luckily for the crews working on the boats, the surf was only 2-3 feet, easing their efforts. High surf would have vastly increased the challenges fighting the fire.
Fifteen minutes later, Oceanside mayor Esther Sanchez told NBC 7 in a phone interview that "what we know is that the fire teams decided to do a defense tactic and not try to save the restaurant but save the rest of the pier."
At 4:21, 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. By that time, the roof had collapsed on a small structure next to the old Ruby's building, which had been the location of a grab-and-go business called the Brine Box, and flames were starting to escape the confines of the much larger structure, with its roof beginning to visibly char.
The firefighting chopper stayed on scene making multiple drops on the inferno, but the fire has resisted all attempts at extinguishing it. Around 4:35, San Diego Fire Rescue's new Triton firefighting vessel arrived to aid in the efforts. Carlsbad, Vista, North County Fire and Camp Pendleton have 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 on-shore winds carrying smoke and ash to the coastline, the pie shop's operator told NBC 7 around 4:45.
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.
Despite being warned away, hundreds of people assembled along the coast to watch the fire and efforts to put it out.
"Still have a lot of work to do," Parsons said.
By 5:15, a second firefighting aircraft, this one operated by SDG&E and mostly used to battle brush fires, had been deployed for the pier fire as well, dropping as much as 2,500 gallons at a time. By 5:30 charred pieces of the pier had begun washing ashore.
At a second news conference held at 5:45, Parsons said that fire had been stopped at 15 feet just past the hammerhead.
"This is really, really good news," Parsons said, "and like I said, we think we have forward progress stopped there. What that means is that the vast majority of the pier itself is in good, undamaged condition."
Charred pieces of the pier began washing ashore by 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
By 6 p.m., SkyRanger 7 showed a very different scene than when it arrived hours earlier. Smoke still blew at the scene, but was no longer billowing, with the plume was vastly diminished. Small flames could be scene burning here and there, but the fire, in the structure at least, seemed to be largely knocked down. The firefighting boats and Coast Guard cutter remained on station, water cannons still blasting.
Parson said crews would remain on scene into the night, looking for "hidden fire" or hot spots, to prevent the blaze from rekindling.
As of 10 p.m., crews were still battling active fire on the restaurant building and the pier and boats were still in the water, according to Blake Dorse, a division chief with the Oceanside Fire Department. However, officials believe the blaze will stay contained to the pier's end, in part because crews 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.
Dorse said a large group will work overnight before another group returns in the morning.
Jessica Waite, the co-owner of the Brine Box, told NBC 7 that the business was open when the fire began.
“Chef Rachel saw smoke coming up from underneath the pier, behind the old Ruby’s building," Waite said. "Thankfully, everyone was evacuated safely. We are so sad to see this happening."
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.
Check back here for updates on this breaking news — Ed.
