ASTORIA, Ore. — Pier 39 in Astoria is closed indefinitely after it was damaged by fire late Thursday night.
The pier "suffered significant fire damage" and will need to be repaired, an Astoria fire official said. The pier will remain closed until a city building official can determine its structural stability. Officials did not provide an estimated date for when it will reopen.
The fire broke out just before midnight Thursday. First reports indicated that flames and smoke were coming from Rogue Pier 39 Public House, a restaurant located on the pier. When firefighters arrived shortly after midnight, they noticed flames and smoke in front of the restaurant. Firefighters had the blaze under control within 50 minutes and were able to contain it to the pier without letting it spread to other structures.
According to Google, the Rogue is temporarily closed as well.
Fire crews stayed on scene for a couple hours to put out hot spots and conduct an initial investigation. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, fire officials said.
Pier 39 owner Floyd Holcom told The Astorian that security video captured a person smoking, which he believes is how the fire started. He said the video was submitted to Astoria police.
Astoria Police Chief Stacy Kelly said the video is being reviewed as part of the investigation. Officers located the person in the video around 5:30 a.m. Friday and police are investigating whether they had criminal intent or were just being negligent, according to The Astorian.
There were no reported injuries to firefighters or anyone on the pier.
Fire departments from Astoria, Lewis & Clark, Knappa and Warrenton helped put out the fire. They were also assisted by the Astoria Police Department, Public Works Department and Medix Ambulance.