Newport Beach firefighters could have to wait up to 90 minutes for large fire boats from nearby agencies if one of the city's wooden piers catches fire, giving the blaze time to become a big problem.
In the aftermath of a dramatic fire in May that destroyed the vacant Ruby's restaurant building at the end of the Seal Beach Pier, Newport Beach fire officials are evaluating their resources and determining how they would react if the Newport or Balboa piers were in flames.
"Use of fire boats is one of the main things we're looking at," said Fire Capt. Ty Lunde.
The possibility of a significant pier fire isn't far from the minds of fire authorities or city officials.
On Sunday, less than a week after Asst. Fire Chief Chip Duncan explained to the City Council the intricacies of fighting a pier fire, hundreds of beachgoers were evacuated from the Newport Pier because of a small fire ignited by smoldering cigarettes in the vacant restaurant building on the end of the pier.
Four fire engines along with paramedics rushed to the scene with the idea that the blaze could become like the one in Seal Beach. But when they arrived, smoke was all that was left of the fire.
"It was a great reminder of why we need to be prepared," Mayor Diane Dixon said Wednesday.
During the July 26 City Council meeting, Duncan presented challenges that his staff could face in a large-scale pier fire.
"Probably the biggest difficulty for us that was a benefit for Seal Beach was they had direct access to the fire boats from Long Beach and L.A. harbor," Duncan said. "They're right there, so they responded quickly."
Though there are enough resources to fight a pier fire from land, access to boats with the ability to combat a large fire is the main challenge, Duncan told the council.
Since both piers have a 3-ton weight limit, it would be impossible for crews to drive a firetruck onto them to aid their efforts. Instead, Duncan said, they would rely on firefighters running the length of the pier with their equipment, as well as help from fire boats, which can shoot water underneath the structure, where electrical and plumbing lines run.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol has one boat in Newport Harbor that could be used to fight a pier fire. The rest of its boats are too small, more equipped to extinguish fires on vessels.
Newport would need to rely instead on other agencies, Duncan said.
Long Beach's larger fire boats could take up to 90 minutes to get to Newport Beach. Smaller boats likely would take up to 40 minutes.
"The time it would take to get out there would make it questionable how effective they would actually be when they arrived," Duncan said.
After watching some of the fire protection systems on the Seal Beach Pier fail while the Orange County Fire Authority was attacking the blaze, Newport Beach firefighters checked and repaired similar systems on the Newport and Balboa piers.
Dixon said the City Council likely will have a study session on the issue, stemming from the Fire Department's evaluation of its resources.
As the city moves forward with an agreement with the owners of Bluewater Grill to raze the 1940s-era building on the Newport Pier and replace it with a casual dining establishment, officials said they have an opportunity to reinforce fire protection devices such as sprinklers and pipes.
"We want to be sure the pier is in excellent, ready condition," Dixon said.
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Hannah Fry, [email protected]
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
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