A massive fire broke out on the historic Oceanside Pier in Southern California on Thursday, April 25, causing significant damage to a vacant restaurant building that formerly housed Ruby's Diner. The blaze was reported at around 3 p.m., and over 200 personnel, including firefighters, lifeguards, police officers, and vessels from the U.S. Coast Guard fought the flames.
The pier, which is a major tourist attraction in Southern California and has been rebuilt multiple times due to fires and storms since its original construction in 1888, posed challenges for firefighters due to strong winds reaching up to 17-20 miles per hour. Despite these challenges, crews managed to stop the forward progress of the fire around 15 feet past the section of the pier where the restaurant was located.
No injuries were reported, and all employees were accounted for. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Oceanside Fire Department, along with various other local and federal agencies, are working to contain and extinguish the blaze throughout the night. The city has committed to rebuilding the pier once again.
Firefighters from multiple agencies battled a massive fire on Oceanside Pier on Thursday afternoon. (FOX 5/KUSI)
The iconic Oceanside Pier, which stretches for over 1,900 feet and is the longest wooden pier on the West Coast, has been rebuilt several times due to fires and storms since its original construction in 1888. The most recent version opened to the public in 1987.
The fire broke out at around 3 p.m., causing significant damage to a vacant restaurant building that formerly housed Ruby's Diner. Over 200 personnel, including firefighters, lifeguards, police officers, and vessels from the U.S. Coast Guard were on scene within minutes of the report.
Strong winds posed challenges for firefighters battling the blaze on Oceanside Pier. (CBS 8)
Despite these challenges, crews managed to stop the forward progress of the fire around 15 feet past the section of the pier where the restaurant was located. No injuries were reported, and all employees were accounted for.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The Oceanside Fire Department and various other local and federal agencies are working to contain and extinguish the blaze throughout the night.
The city has committed to rebuilding the pier once again, as it has done multiple times since its original construction in 1888.
This is a developing story. Stay with us for updates.