VIDEO: The cause of the Oceanside Pier fire was not arson or the fault of a grease fire, according to the latest investigation headed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The cause of the fire is not definitive, but it was likely caused by an electrical malfunction. The flames from the Oceanside Pier could be seen from La Jolla, the clear spring April day in 2024 terrified a community and mobilized a technical firefight which rewrote the manual on how to stop pier fires. โOur lifeguards were first, and the fire department within moments right behind them,โ said Chief Dave Parsons from the Oceanside Fire Department. Now, the Alcohol Bureau Tobacco and Firearms have released their preliminary findings on the origins of the fire.
โThe findings show they could isolate an area, but not a device. By process of elimination the only sources of heat are electrical in that area,โ Parsons said. Parsons, who ran the call implementing a novel tactic of trenching the pier to stop the forward progress of flames, says these finding are critical moving forward. โIs it a device that maybe needs to be recalled? Is it a crime of arson against our community and with something like the pier in this case, which is such a large part of our community and has a lot of value both emotionally and financially to the city, knowing that cause is pretty significant for us,โ Parsons said. Parsons says the ATF findings are giving his department a slight sense of relief. โNow that we know itโs not a arsonist, itโs not a criminal act and we can build better,โ Parsons said.
