Oside pier fire extinguished, rebuild begins
Fire crews work for 36 hours to put out the blaze on the iconic pier; the preliminary cause is being ruled accidental, but crews save 90% of the pier
OCEANSIDE — The massive blaze on the Oceanside Pier was finally extinguished on Monday as fire crews worked diligently to put out the fire, which started around 3 p.m. Thursday.
Oceanside Fire Division Chief Blake Dorse said the fire began on the west end of the 1,960-foot-long pier, which erupted and left a massive plum billowing toward the east for hours. The origin of the fire is unknown, he said, although the preliminary investigation shows the blaze is likely accidental.
No injuries or deaths were reported, Dorse said.
Firefighters also “trenched,” or cut planks from the pier, about 50 feet east of the hammerhead to prevent the further spread of the fire. The trenching was part of OFD’s “defensive” tactics, which meant allowing the structures to burn but preventing the fire from advancing down the pier, according to Dorse and Mayor Esther Sanchez.
The famed Ruby’s Diner was destroyed along with the Brine Box, a small food kiosk adjacent to Ruby’s, Dorse said. However, fire crews were able to save about 90% of the pier and Dorse said the city plans to reopen 75% of the pier as soon as they can.
“I’ve been hearing stories and of course, they remind me of my youth,” Sanchez explained of the status of the pier. “It’s a real fishing pier. There are just so many wonderful stories I’ve been listening to since the fire started that mean so, so much to our community. It’s the one place you stop at. We are all committed to rebuilding it as soon as possible.”
He said dispatch was notified at 3:02 p.m. with the first 911 call and crews arrived on scene five minutes later. Those who responded included fire boats with OFD from the harbor, the Coast Guard, San Diego Harbor Police, Cal Fire, city lifeguards, Carlsbad, Vista and Camp Pendleton, along with helicopters dispersing water from San Diego County and San Diego Gas & Electric.
(This video is from a Carlsbad resident and shows the early stages of the fire at the Oceanside Pier on Thursday)
Additionally, a civilian boat from Manson Construction was one of the first to respond as the company is performing dredging operations at the harbor, Dorse said. The Manson boat helped get water on the fire before other agencies were able to arrive.
“Now that it’s completely out, no one has been hurt and it was really contained in that small portion,” Sanchez added. “We’re counting our blessings it wasn’t worse. So many people came to our aid and it was just heartwarming.”
Attacking the fire
Dorse said the crews worked in concert but were also fortunate as the city installed a new water suppression pipeline in January. The pipeline runs the length of the pier and allows crews to hook into the system to get water onto the hammerhead and restaurants.
He said lifeguards helped run hoses at least 1,700 feet to assist on-the-ground firefighters battle and control the fire. Dorse said it took about 36 hours for OFD to control the fire so it wouldn’t spread, while the next three days crews conducted 24-hour watches searching for hotspots.
He said it took days to extinguish and search for any hotspots due to the instability of the structure. Also, crews removed material piece by piece, sprayed those materials with water, deployed thermal imaging to double-check the work and applied water underneath the pier.
“There is no more loss occurring,” Dorse added. “We’re continuing to monitor and we’re confident at this point there won’t be a rekindle.”
Sanchez said the first two boats to arrive were from the city where firefighters spent more than 19 hours straight battling the inferno before being relieved.
The trenching was a critical part of the response, Dorse said, noting the action is similar to a structure fire where one half is on fire and crews cut the roof to expel heat and prevent the spread. The trench is about 10 wide.
As for Ruby’s, Dorse said the longtime staple of the pier was closed as the restaurant announced its permanent closure in 2021. However, a new, or renovated, restaurant was slated to be in the works, he said.
Plans called for renovations to the restaurant, but no active construction work was being performed, Dorse said. Sanchez and Dorse said the Brine Box was using Ruby’s for prep work, while Dorse said there was a hot plate in the restaurant being used by the Brine Box, but the preliminary investigation does not indicate any issues with the hot plate, a heat source or arson.
Dorse said investigators spent hours poring over video and images from security cameras and social media as part of the investigation. While the fire is out, Dorse said surfers, swimmers and fishermen and women are not allowed within 100 feet of the pier, while boats cannot come within 100 yards for safety reasons.
“They had previously demolished the interior to clear it out and were going through the city for the planning process,” Dorse said of Ruby’s. “The Brine Box … they were using the building, but it was non-food cooking food prep. All their food cooking prep was inside the Brine Box. The hot plate … they weren’t using that day.”
Next steps
Sanchez said there is no doubt the city will repair and reopen the pier. She said the pier, which was originally built in 1888, is an iconic landmark and the “heart and soul” of the city.
The current iteration of the pier was constructed in 1987 (there have been six piers in the city’s history) and is the longest pier on the West Coast.
The city council, meanwhile, is holding a special meeting today to declare a local state of emergency, Sanchez said. She said the city is still waiting on cost estimates of the damage, but it’s expected to be in the millions.
Sanchez said the pier is covered through insurance, but the city must also consider the costs for the other agencies who responded to the call. Regardless, a coalition of political and community leaders have promised assistance, she said.
Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) visited the pier, according to Oceanside Councilman Eric Joyce, and has pledged to help. Sanchez said the city will look at combining another project receiving federal funds along with repairing the damage zone.
“We have to work with our congressman and our state representatives,” Sanchez explained. “We got funds for the concrete part of the pier. We got the green light to apply for those funds, with significant help from Congressman Mike Levin, and we hope to add to that application for the other side of the pier. We’re hoping to do both at the same time.”
She said the city received $40 million to replace the Oceanside Lifeguard Headquarters, concrete, which is approximately 100 years old, and a restaurant at the entrance of the pier on the east side. Sanchez said the city will look at piggybacking on the project with the damaged section to secure more federal funds.
Additionally, she said the city has been in contact with local state representatives and others. Sanchez said the investigation will take several more weeks, while cost estimates and plans for repairs will also be forthcoming.
Regardless, she and Joyce said the pier holds a special place for residents, tourists and all visitors. Each, along with others on the council, have received dozens, if not hundreds, of messages from people across the country regarding the pier.
Also, Sanchez said Charlie the Pelican, the famed brown pelican who perches at the pier, has returned.
“I’ve also received messages from people all across the country expressing their sense of loss when they saw the images of our pier on fire,” Joyce added. “So many people have treasured memories of this place. I believe our fire department has done a superb job of providing information in a transparent and responsible way throughout this tragic time.”
For updates on the pier, visit the city’s webpage here.