PHOTOS: Firefighters were called out Thursday afternoon to battle an inferno at the far end of the iconic Oceanside Pier.
The fire was reported shortly after 3 p.m. and the firefight stretched overnight and into Friday.
A massive plume of smoke quickly filled the sky, and two firefighting boats arrived on scene shooting water cannons at the structure at the end of the pier, where it broadens to support two structures and is called the hammerhead. A lone lifeguard vehicle was posted up at the foot of the pier, with a long fire hose, possibly two, running the length of the pier. Although smoke obscured the scene, the building at the end of the pier was burning furiously. The structure was once the site of the Ruby's Diner, which has stood empty since the business closed three years ago.