California Restaurant On Iconic Oceanside Pier Destroyed By Fire

California firefighters battled a massive fire that erupted Thursday at a former restaurant on the city's historic pier.

A vacant restaurant at the end of a Southern California pier was engulfed in flames Thursday afternoon, sending a column of smoke billowing over the pier.

The fire at Oceanside Pier in Oceanside, in northern San Diego County, broke out at around 3 p.m. at or near a building that once housed Ruby's Diner. A fish shack at the end of the pier, Brine Box, said its staff was safely evacuated.

"What's happening on the pier is sad and scary. We want you to know that our team is safe," Brine Box wrote on Instagram. "Our Brine Box team was working out on the pier today serving fresh local fish and veggies to our awesome community. Chef Rachel saw smoke coming up from underneath the pier, behind the old Ruby's building and called 9-11. Thankfully, everyone was evacuated safely."

The Oceanside Fire Department said firefighters worked to contain the blaze to the end of the pier, which is nearly 2,000 feet long and was built in 1888. The U.S. Coast Guard assisted, fighting the fire from the water, while helicopters from Cal Fire and San Diego Gas and Electric dropped water from above.

Shortly before 6 p.m., the fire department said the fire was contained to the end of the pier and that firefighters were making "good progress." In an update shortly after 8 p.m., the fire department said it was still working the fire, and that crews "will remain working through the night to ensure it remains confined to the end of the pier."

The City of Oceanside said there were no injuries reported.

"All people working on and visiting the Pier were accounted for," the city said in a statement. "Fire inspectors are on scene and we should know more about the cause of the fire in a few days."

-- with reporting by TMX

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California, Fire