Oceanside Pier fire, rebuilding will cost at least $17 million, take three years

When the wind blows in the right direction, the smell still lingers on the Oceanside Pier where a fire raged nearly a month ago on April 25.

With time and calculators and research, officials in that North County city have been able to take a step back and figure out just how much the inferno cost Oceanside, and how long it will take to return the site to its former glory.

City Manager Jonathan E. Borrego confirmed to NBC 7 that Oceanside does not expect a full reopening of the pier until 2027, after myriad rebuilding stages that include the design process, putting it out for bids, selecting a contractor or contractors, and issuing permits — nevermind the actual construction.

The first stage, of course, though, and a time-consuming one, will be wrangling with the insurers. The city told NBC 7 in the past that it expects insurance to cover the full costs of the replacement. Eventually, of course, it will be time to remove of the fire-damaged timbers and buildings from the site, which can't simply be demolished and swept out to sea or allowed to wash up onto the beach. Borrego confirmed to NBC 7 that the city was hopeful that work could begin as early as this summer. Borrego confirmed he doesn't anticipate a full reopening for three years.

"I would only add that there are numerous regulatory agencies that will need to review and permit the demolition and repair work, which is a major contributor to the extended timeline," Borrego told NBC 7 on Monday.

Oceanside Fire Chief Dave Parsons said the city now has a picture on the financial costs of the fire, which, he told NBC 7, was fought by 124 firefighters, including 87 from Oceanside.

“We submit this to the state for potential," Parsons said. "The governor or director of the Office of Emergency Services will determine whether we meet the standard for California Disaster Act Assistance funds. These costs are substantial, and the reimbursement decision will affect what can be accomplished.”

Parsons confirmed to NBC 7 that it will cost approximately $16.9 million to remove debris damaged by the fire, and to repair or place the affected portions of the pier and to rebuild the structures destroyed by the fire, including the Brine Box to-go business and the former Ruby's diner. The chief broke that down a bit, saying it would cost about $2.5 million just to remove the fire-damaged debris. This, compared with a price tag of $160,000 to fight the active fire, a cost mitigated by mutual-aid agreements with other agencies that helped to fight the fire.

"No decision has been made on what the replacement will look like, as that is a city council decision," Parsons said in an email to NBC 7 this week.

Investigators are still working to determine the official cause of the fire.

"There has been no change in our current investigation findings," Parsons said. "The current information is that the cause is undetermined, but evidence and witness statements haven’t ruled out an electrical heat source under the pier in the Northwest corner."

Some of the wiring under the pier was replaced during construction last year, but it "isn’t known at this time what wiring was potentially involved," the chief said.

Parsons also told NBC 7 that a deadline hasn't been set for a final report from investigators but that it will be completed "hopefully within a month."