Local Legislators Turn to Sacramento for Oceanside Pier Repair Funding

Several San Diego County legislators sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday, asking his administration to provide emergency funding to repair the Oceanside Pier, which was damaged recently in a fire.

Sens. Catherine Blakespear, Steve Padilla, and Brian Jones and Assembly members David Alvarez, Brian Maienschein, Laurie Davies, and Tasha Boerner penned the letter, saying they were “devastated” to see the landmark damaged.

“Since the late 19th century, the Oceanside Pier has served as a landmark of our coastal identity and maritime heritage in Southern California,” the legislators wrote. “Rebuilding the historic pier as quickly as possible is paramount and will likely require financial support from the state of California.”

Last Thursday, during an all-out multi-agency effort that continued for more than 24 hours, crews were able to save roughly 95% of the iconic 1,950-foot-long wooden structure, according to city officials. Emergency services personnel from agencies across the county battled the flames from atop the burning pier, aboard a pair of firefighting boats and with water-dropping helicopters as the blaze sent a towering plume of black smoke to the east. The Coast Guard sent in a cutter to aid in handling the emergency.

On Monday, the city began installing temporary fencing and the U.S. Coast Guard enforced a restricted area Wednesday to block access to the Oceanside Pier.

Investigators have ruled out arson as a possible cause of a fire that engulfed and caused extensive damage to the far seaward end of Oceanside Pier located in the northwestern corner of San Diego County last week.

Analysis of the scene of the blaze, which gutted a vacant restaurant building and a snack shop after erupting shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday, points to an accidental cause of some sort, according to the Oceanside Fire Department.

In conducting such investigations, “we look at what we can rule out and what we can’t rule out,” OFD Chief David Parsons told reporters Monday afternoon during a briefing near the charred pier.

“And everything leads us to believe, based on canine (searches), reports, videos, witness interviews, fire dynamics, which is how fire moves, and then also patterns that we see in the structure … that an incendiary liquid, which could be indicative of potential arson — none of that’s present,” Parsons said.

Video evidence and witness interviews suggest that the fire started on the northwest side of the pier — possibly underneath the promenade deck — next to the former Ruby’s Diner site, which was undergoing renovations at the time of the blaze, according to city officials.

“Collectively, we send our deepest gratitude for the swift and coordinated response to the Oceanside Pier fire by multiple parties,” the legislators wrote. “Particularly, we commend the Oceanside Fire Department for their exceptional response time of just five minutes. Their prompt action undoubtedly played a crucial role in preventing further escalation of the situation and minimizing damage.”

The Senators and Assembly members thanked other first responder groups and asked Newsom’s office to look for emergency money to repair the pier.

–City News Service