OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Every day people head to the iconic Oceanside Pier to walk, run or go fishing. They're still able to do that thanks to the quick action taken by responders when the pier went up in flames in April.
"When we saw how big the header was coming off the pier, we're like alright this is real," Bill Liniewicz with the San Diego Sheriff's office said.
On April 25 the Oceanside Pier caught fire. 93% of it was saved, although two buildings at the end were lost. Now, about 80% of it is still open to the public.
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"We had 100 personnel on the pier itself and they could not see, they were in the middle of all the smoke you see in those videos and pictures," Oceanside fire chief David Parsons said.
Responders from more than 15 agencies were honored Wednesday by the City of Oceanside for their heroic actions.
"We called helicopters very quickly for air drops, we had extra fire boats on scene, so you had a three pronged fire attack really within an hour," Parsons said.
One of the helicopters dropping water was flown by pilot Bill Liniewicz. He and his partner did 22 water drops onto the fire.
"I feel pretty honored," Liniewicz said. "I know this pier means a lot to a lot of people, both in Oceanside and across the country."
The response was all hands on deck. Agencies across the county lent a hand, including help from spontaneous responders.
Jon Hook is a tugboat captain with Manson Construction. He made a detour that day from his usual work to help put out the fire.
"We're out there doing dredging operations on Oceanside Harbor and saw a big plume of smoke and then I saw the end of the pier was on fire," Captain Jon Hook said.
Hook and volunteers worked with lifeguards to spray water at hot spots on the pier.
"This tug boat was a critical piece because we did not have enough water coming from below initially, they brought in their water and they took action," Parsons said.
Hook's act of kindness and quick action made a difference in the long run.
"The end, of course, is going to be a loss but I think it could have spread a lot further if we didn't get out there with everyone else initially and get water put out there as fast as we could've," Hook said.
In the end, the work of the more than 180 responders involved saved most of Oceanside's iconic pier. Just the end of the pier needs repairs. Parsons said the fire investigation is wrapping up and will be released within a month. He said it will most likely be ruled an accident from electrical wiring.
The Oceanside City Manager said the end of the pier will hopefully be fully repaired and reopened in two years. First, permits will need to be obtained which could take about a year, then another year is estimated to be needed for construction. The City estimates the damages cost about $17.2 million.
"So really heroic action, a commitment to the task and coordination with all these other agencies created a successful moment for us," Parsons said.
WATCH RELATED: Massive fire erupts on Oceanside Pier