Fire on Oceanside Pier creates massive smoke plume – NBC 7 San Diego

For day 2 protection of the firefight to avoid wasting the enduring Oceanside Pier, click on right here.

Firefighters have been known as out Thursday afternoon to battle an inferno on the far finish of the enduring Oceanside Pier.

The fireplace was reported shortly after 3 p.m. and the firefight stretched in a single day and into Friday.

A large plume of smoke shortly stuffed the sky, and two fire-fighting boats arrived on scene taking pictures water cannons on the construction on the finish of the pier, the place it broadens to assist two buildings and known as the hammerhead. A lone lifeguard car posted up on the foot of pier, with an extended hearth hose, probably two, operating the size of the pier.

The fireplace on the Oceanside Pier has been burning for a number of hours. Firefighters have been attacking the flames from completely different angles, and the battle has stretched into the night time. NBC 7’s Dave Summers studies on April 25, 2024.

Though smoke obscured the scene, the constructing on the finish of the pier was burning furiously. The construction was as soon as the location of the Ruby’s Diner, which has stood empty because the enterprise closed three years in the past. As SkyRanger 7 arrived overhead, smoke was blowing onshore the whole size of the construction.

“The Oceanside Hearth Division is at the moment engaged in combating a hearth on the Oceanside Pier,” OFD tweeted out at 3:14 p.m. “We’re asking all residents to please keep away from the fast space.”

The reason for the hearth, which started burning round 3 p.m., has but to be decided.

At 4 o’clock, a 3rd vessel had joined the battle in addition to a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, however smoke continued to pour out all sides of the two-story constructing in addition to beneath the pier, with just a few flames truly seen. Over on the coast, individuals had began to congregate to look at the conflagration, with some posing for selfies with the historic construction aflame behind them.

Fortunately for the crews engaged on the boats, the surf was solely 2-3 toes, easing their efforts. Excessive surf would have vastly elevated the challenges combating the hearth.

Officers supplied an replace of the Oceanside Pier hearth throughout a information convention round 5 p.m. on April 25, 2024.

Fifteen minutes later, Oceanside mayor Esther Sanchez instructed NBC 7 in a cellphone interview that “what we all know is that the hearth groups determined to do a protection tactic and never attempt to save the restaurant however save the remainder of the pier.”

At 4:21, a helicopter collectively operated by Cal Hearth and the San Diego Sheriff’s Division arrived to make a water drop on the construction hearth, a really uncommon sight. By that point, the roof had collapsed on a small construction subsequent to the outdated Ruby’s constructing, which had been the placement of a grab-and-go enterprise known as the Brine Field, and flames have been beginning to escape the confines of the a lot bigger construction, with its roof starting to visibly char.

PHOTOS: Hearth erupts on Oceanside Pier

The firefighting chopper stayed on scene making a number of drops on the inferno, however the hearth has resisted all makes an attempt at extinguishing it. Round 4:35, San Diego Hearth Rescue’s new Triton firefighting vessel arrived to assist within the efforts. Carlsbad, Vista, North County Hearth and Camp Pendleton have all despatched floor crews to assist out as effectively, officers instructed NBC 7.

Companies and eating places close to the pier, together with the Well-known Excessive Pie on the High Gun Home, have been closed due to the on-shore winds carrying smoke and ash to the shoreline, the pie store’s operator instructed NBC 7 round 4:45.

Talking at a information convention at round 5 p.m., Oceanside hearth chief David Parsons stated lifeguards have been the primary to report the hearth and firefighters arrived 5 minutes later. He additionally said that the primary physique of the hearth had basically been knocked down and that they have been now specializing in protecting it beneath management, although the deck was nonetheless burning, which is the place firefighters have been concentrating their efforts.

“Nonetheless have loads of work to do,” Parsons stated.

By 5:15, a second firefighting plane, this one operated by SDG&E and principally used to battle brush fires, had been deployed for the pier hearth as effectively, dropping as a lot as 2,500 gallons at a time. By 5:30 charred items of the pier had begun washing ashore.

At a second information convention held at 5:45, Parsons stated that fireside had been stopped at 15 toes simply previous the hammerhead.

“That is actually, actually excellent news,” Parsons stated, “and like I stated, we expect we have now ahead progress stopped there. What which means is that the overwhelming majority of the pier itself is in good, undamaged situation.”

Charred items of the pier started washing ashore by 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

By 6 p.m., SkyRanger 7 confirmed a really completely different scene than when it arrived hours earlier. Smoke nonetheless blew on the scene, however was now not billowing, with the plume was vastly diminished. Small flames could possibly be scene burning right here and there, however the hearth, within the construction no less than, appeared to be largely knocked down. The firefighting boats and Coast Guard cutter remained on station, water cannons nonetheless blasting.

Parson stated crews would stay on scene into the night time, in search of “hidden hearth” or sizzling spots, to stop the blaze from rekindling.

As of 10 p.m., crews have been nonetheless battling lively hearth on the restaurant constructing and the pier and boats have been nonetheless within the water, in keeping with Chief Blake Dorse with the Oceanside Hearth Division. Nevertheless, officers consider the blaze will keep contained to the pier’s finish, partly as a result of crews eliminated a number of planks of the pier and created a 5-foot trench going throughout the width of the pier to assist cease the hearth from spreading east.

Oceanside Hearth Division

Dorse stated a big group will work in a single day earlier than one other group returns within the morning.

Jessica Waite, the co-owner of the Brine Field, instructed NBC 7 that the enterprise was open when the hearth started.

“Chef Rachel noticed smoke arising from beneath the pier, behind the outdated Ruby’s constructing,” Waite stated. “Fortunately, everybody was evacuated safely. We’re so unhappy to see this occurring.”

Final 12 months, town of Oceanside spent $5.5 million to improve getting older pipes and electrical techniques on the pier, which is 1,954 toes lengthy. The wood construction was first in-built 1888 however has been destroyed twice in its lifetime, as soon as in 1890 by tough seas and, after it was rebuilt, once more in 1902.

Thursday’s hearth just isn’t the primary constructing to burn on the location: In 1976 “a hearth broke out within the Pier Fish Market, situated midway out on the pier and in December the Pier Cafe was fully destroyed by hearth,” in keeping with the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. The present pier was in-built 1987.

There have been no fast studies of any accidents. Sanchez, who stated town would rebuild, said on the information convention that every one staff had been accounted for.

Parsons, the hearth chief, stated that investigators have been on the scene however {that a} trigger might not be decided for days.

The fireplace on the Oceanside Pier drew a crowd on the shore, and plenty of vacationers and neighbors watched in disbelief as the hearth stored burning. NBC 7’s Jeanette Quezada studies on April 25, 2024.

Examine again right here for updates on this breaking information — Ed.