The Oceanside Pier reopened to the public Friday, a little more than two weeks after it was closed by a fire. Locals, fishermen and some tourists were all thrilled to be back.
Susan Ogg and her family visit Oceanside and the pier every year to honor her parents, who passed away.
"We dropped the ashes in the ocean and then we drop the flowers off the end of the pier, so we wanted to do the same with the flowers but when we got here the pier was closed," she said. "This is our last day, we’ve been here for a week, and the pier opens so we're down here to drop our flowers."
Ogg said the pier helps her remember her parents and create new memories with her family.
"Hopefully the pier will be here years to come and my grandkids will be coming down and doing the same thing, so it's really important that people preserve things that are historic," she said.
Last month, the future of the Oceanside Pier was unclear. Plumes of smoke were seen coming from the end of it. But firefighters managed to stop the fire from spreading, and the majority of the pier was saved.
Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez said now about 75% of the pier is open.
"We're very very excited about it," she said. "It's very safe where they've put a gate, just to make it very obvious that this as far as you go. It's beyond the bait shop, the bathrooms, and the lifeguard station."
Locals and fishermen were just as excited for the reopening of the pier.
"It's a great day for Oceanside to get the pier back open," Oceanside resident Zach Cordner said. "It's packed already, summer crowds already. Even with the marine layer it's awesome."
Andrew Aranda comes to the pier twice a week to fish.
"We catch mackerel, croaker, jacksmelt, and sometimes some good halibut in the colder months," he said.
A full investigation of what caused the fire will take a couple more weeks. Foul play has been ruled out, and city officials expect insurance will cover the majority of the rebuilding.
More closures of the pier could come in the near future as rebuilding moves forward.
