Quick Summary – Key takeaways
Firefighters in Oceanside continued to extinguish hot spots from the pier fire, with city engineers confirming that the pylons supporting the structure are stable.
The beach surrounding the pier remains closed, until further inspection; for water sampling and debris collection. Officials urged the public to avoid the area due to potential contaminants.
Oceanside Pier Fire – California – What happened?
On Saturday firefighters continued to put out hot spots from the Oceanside Pier fire, city engineers came back with good news: the pylons supporting the structure are stable.
Firefighters spent another night working to suppress flare-ups. On Saturday, crews were able to safely access and snuff out smoldering sections of the pier thanks to plywood delivered by the city of Oceanside’s Water Utilities Department, city officials said.
Firefighters had to be creative to get access to the hotspots, and they used the wood to cross over the firebreak they made by removing pier planks to halt the fire’s progression.
The Piers Pylons are safe
City engineers began their assessment of the pylons and found them in good condition, officials said. The pier’s pylons are buried 35 feet below the seafloor.
The beach surrounding the pier remained closed Saturday as the county’s Department of Environmental Health ran water samples and crews continued to gather debris that washed ashore.
Officials urged the public to avoid the area to limit smoke exposure. The city’s water contact closure remained in effect so the public does not engage with potential contaminants.
Surfrider Way and south of the pier to Tyson Street remain closed
The beach north of the pier to Surfrider Way and south of the pier to Tyson Street also remained closed to the public. The Strand near the pier was closed to vehicle traffic between the two streets, as well.
The blaze, which sent clouds of dark smoke into the sky, was spotted at the empty restaurant about 3 p.m. Thursday.
More than 200 firefighters, lifeguards and police officers poured in from Oceanside and nearby cities in California to help put out the fire. Even a construction company that was nearby to dredge the harbor sent a boat to assist.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation with America News Online reporters at the scene providing live updates.