Founder and Managing Partner
Oceanside Fire officials said as of 7 p.m. on Friday, the fire is declared ‘under control’.
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Tourists and locals captured images of the iconic Oceanside Pier Friday, one day after a devastating blaze erupted at the end of the structure.
“We were in the middle of actually re-doing the concrete part,” said Mayor Esther Sanchez. “That’s like a $40 million dollar project. To have this happen, we’re all brokenhearted.”
She said she’s already gotten calls from state and federal leaders, offering their support. She said they’re in the process of making an emergency declaration, which would allow them to apply for FEMA assistance.
Friday firefighters remained at the scene, watering down hot spots. The fire appears to have started in the old Ruby’s Diner. So far, investigators have not determined what sparked the fire. The ATF is assisting in the investigation.
Chief Parsons said fire crews from multiple agencies worked through the night and were able to save 95% of the pier.Â
In a briefing on Friday evening, Oceanside Fire officials said the fire on the pier was declared ”under control.” The Oceanside Fire Department said they will assess to determine what their fire operations will look like throughout the weekend.
WATCH: Officials give final update on Oceanside Pier fire before the weekend
[embedded content]WATCH: Fire, local, state officials give update on Oceanside Pier fire
[embedded content]WATCH: Above Oceanside Pier one day after massive fire
[embedded content]Safety
Parsons said they are asking the public to remain at least 500 yards away from the pier for safety issues.
“We do have debris washing up onshore, we can’t have people coming in and playing in the water,” he said.Â
A has been issued for Oceanside Pier due to contamination from the fire, San Diego County officials announced. The closure spans from the beachline north of the pier to Surfrider Way and south of the pier to Tyson Street.Â
Reaction
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.
Adam Lockwood told CBS 8 he runs a bait business on the pier, Oceanside Pier & Bait. He said he was nearby yesterday when he saw the smoke, and came running. He feared the entire wooden structure was going to be destroyed along with his shop.
“The smoke was just black, I thought maybe someone ran into the pier, or that a plane went down,” he said.
He said he is amazed at just what an incredible job the firefighters and first responders did to prevent the fire from engulfing the entire wood structure.Â
“Memorial Day is usually the day that kicks off the summer for us, I’m hoping maybe at worst case, time that we can open up again,” he said.
There is no estimate on when the pier will re-open. Mayor Sanchez said the focus right now is on the clean up process and making sure the fire is out.
WATCH RELATED: Chopper 8 flies above massive fire that erupted in Oceanside Pier
[embedded content]
(source)