Stubborn fire at iconic Oceanside, Calif., pier now under control, officials say

Simon Druker
·2 min read
The fire that damaged the iconic Oceanside Municipal Pier in California is now under control, local officials confirmed Friday. Photo courtesy of Oceanside Fire Department
The fire that damaged the iconic Oceanside Municipal Pier in California is now under control, local officials confirmed Friday. Photo courtesy of Oceanside Fire Department

April 27 (UPI) -- A fire that damaged the iconic Oceanside Municipal Pier in California is now under control, while the probe into what caused the stubborn blaze is still ongoing, officials have confirmed.

It took more than 100 firefighters working on land and in the ocean to eventually get the flames under control by Friday, officials announced at a news conference.

A helicopter provided to the collective effort by San Diego Gas & Electric was a "game changer" in the fight, Oceanside Fire Chief David Parsons told reporters.

The landmark in northern San Diego County is the longest wooden pier on the western United States coastline, measuring 1,954 feet.

Crews were having difficulty reaching certain hotspots that occasionally flared up at the end of the pier.

It took more than 100 firefighters working on land and in the ocean to eventually get the flames under control by Friday, officials announced. Photo courtesy of Oceanside Fire Department
It took more than 100 firefighters working on land and in the ocean to eventually get the flames under control by Friday, officials announced. Photo courtesy of Oceanside Fire Department

On Saturday, the city's water department helped obtain and deliver plywood to lay over a plank firebreak made to halt the fire's progression on the pier, city officials said in an update.

"Now, firefighters can safely access and pull apart smoldering areas and fully extinguish them," they said.

Nobody was injured and officials believe 90% of the Oceanside, Calif.. pier was largely saved from the fire. Firefighters initially had to let part of the area burn as the flames were in hard-to-reach spaces. Photo courtesy of Oceanside Fire Department
Nobody was injured and officials believe 90% of the Oceanside, Calif.. pier was largely saved from the fire. Firefighters initially had to let part of the area burn as the flames were in hard-to-reach spaces. Photo courtesy of Oceanside Fire Department

The beach surrounding the pier remains closed but officials hope to re-open it for recreation as soon as the water quality improves.

The fire started Thursday in a vacant restaurant near the far west end of the wooden pier that first opened in 1888 and bills itself as "an iconic photo backdrop, a stage for artists and performers, a deep-water access point for amateur anglers, and an ideal perch for catching the elusive green flash at sunset."

The landmark in northern San Diego County is the longest wooden pier on the western United States coastline, measuring 1,954 feet. Photo courtesy of Oceanside Fire Department
The landmark in northern San Diego County is the longest wooden pier on the western United States coastline, measuring 1,954 feet. Photo courtesy of Oceanside Fire Department

Nobody was injured and officials believe 90% of the pier was largely saved from the fire. Firefighters initially had to let part of the area burn as the flames were in hard-to-reach spaces.

Crews will continue spraying water to cool smoldering areas for some time to come.