The Latest: Breezes cause California pier fire to smoulder

SEAL BEACH, Calif. – The Latest on a fire in a vacant restaurant on Southern California’s Seal Beach Pier (all times local):

1:20 p.m.

A persistent sea breeze is causing remnants of a Southern California pier fire to kick up.

The fire broke out at the ocean end of the Seal Beach Pier around 7:35 a.m. Friday and was generally quelled by 9 a.m. after destroying a vacant restaurant.

But Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi says the onshore breeze is causing it to continue to smoulder.

A fleet of fireboats from Los Angeles, Long Beach and local agencies attacked the flames with water cannons as 70 firefighters battled the blaze from atop the pier.

Concialdi says fire engines initially pumped water to firefighters through the long wooden pier’s standpipe but at some point it failed and they had to lay more than 1,500 feet of fire hose.

The fire’s cause remains under investigation and the pier will remain closed until it can be inspected.

A Coast Guard patrol boat has joined the effort to provide water safety protection for fire crews.

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9:45 a.m.

The flames have died down at a former restaurant on Southern California’s Seal Beach Pier, leaving the vacant structure in ruins, with much of its roof collapsed.

A fireboat and harbour patrol boats had attacked the flames with streams from water cannons while firefighters directed streams from hoses on the pier early Friday.

The fire appeared to have been contained to the seaward end of the wooden pier, which stretches more than 1,800 feet from a plaza in the community of Seal Beach.

The restaurant has been closed since 2013.

The Orange County Fire Authority is sending investigators to determine the cause of the fire.

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8:15 a.m.

A fire is ripping through a former restaurant on a Southern California pier.

Harbour patrol boats are attacking the flames with streams from water cannons while firefighters direct streams from hoses on the pier.

The blaze erupted early Friday at the end of the long wooden pier southeast of Los Angeles at Seal Beach. Smoke was pouring out of holes in the roof, much of which had collapsed.

The restaurant has been closed since 2013.

The Orange County Fire Authority tells KNX radio that investigators are en route to determine the cause.