Fire crews contain spread of massive fire that erupted on historic Oceanside Pier
The City of Oceanside said the fire was reported at about 3:00 p.m. on Thursday inside the restaurant formerly known as Ruby's Diner.
Fire crews successfully stopped the forward progress of a massive fire that erupted on the Oceanside Pier.
Update
As of 6:30 a.m. Friday, Oceanside Fire officials said the fire had been contained to the end of the pier. Firefighters removed some of the pier planks Thursday afternoon to prevent the burn from spreading further down the pier.
Speaking at a news conference Friday morning, Oceanside fire chief David Parsons said 90% of the pier was undamaged. He added that the fire was underneath a building that crews did not have access to, making the decision to let it burn overnight.
Parsons also said the roof of the building collapsed, but there was no additional damage to the pier itself.
The 1,950-foot-long wooden sea pier is billed as the longest on the West Coast. The original structure, built in the 1880s, fell to a storm in 1890. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1896, then destroyed again 1902.
The most recent version opened to the public in 1987.
Fire erupts on Oceanside Pier 3 p.m.
The City of Oceanside said the fire was reported at about 3:00 p.m. on Thursday inside the restaurant formerly known as Ruby's Diner. Fire crews arrived at the pier five minutes after the flames were reported.
Firefighters attack blaze 4 p.m.
Fire erupts from the iconic Oceanside Pier sending a massive plume of smoke that was visible for miles. Vessels arrive to begin fighting the flames from the water.
Response from sea and air 5 p.m.
A multi-agency response that included U.S. Coast Guard, CalFire, SDG&E and San Diego County firefighters attacked the fire from the water and air. Helicopters began executing water drops on the restaurant as flames continued to burn.
Officials update the public 6 p.m.
Just before 6 p.m., Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez and officials with the Oceanside Fire Department provided an update on the multi-agency response to the fire on the pier.
According to the City of Oceanside, employees from The Brine Box and Bait Shop were all accounted for.
There were no immediate reports of injuries due to the blaze. The cause of the fire is unknown.
Firefighters make progress 7 p.m.
As the sun went down on Oceanside, dozens of firefighters from state, local and private agencies continued their hours-long response to the Oceanside Pier fire.
Most of the flames appeared to have been extinguished, but smoke was still visible as firefighters worked into the night.
Fire fight goes into the night 10 p.m.
As of 9:30 p.m., Oceanside Fire officials said the fire is contained to the end of the pier. Firefighters removed some of the pier planks to prevent the burn from spreading further down the pier. Flames could still be seen burning from a distance.
Firefighters continued to combat the fire throughout the night.