Concern about building

California: Iconic Oceanside Pier on fire

(Bild: APA/AFP/SANDY HUFFAKER)

A vacant restaurant at the end of the iconic Oceanside Pier in Southern California caught fire on Thursday. Smoke billowed into the sky and reached the beach as firefighters battled the blaze from boats.

The pier in Oceanside, about 64.4 kilometers north of San Diego, stretches more than 579 meters and allows visitors to walk a short distance across the ocean.

Flames in vacant restaurant
"The Oceanside Fire Department is currently responding to a fire at the Oceanside Pier. We are asking all citizens to stay away from the immediate area," the department announced Thursday afternoon on the short messaging service X (formerly Twitter).

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The flames broke out in a vacant restaurant at the end of the pier, according to the statement. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Had to be rebuilt five times already
Historic wooden piers can be found all along the Californian coast. Many have been hit by violent storms in recent years, some of which have required expensive repairs. The Oceanside Pier is considered one of the most iconic piers in southern California.

With a length of 596 meters, it is also the longest wooden pier on the US West Coast. The pier has had to be rebuilt five times after being destroyed several times. It has existed in its current form since 1925, the wooden part since 1988.