Morro Bay Pier Fire Kills Man, Ruins 11 Boats

A swift-moving fire destroyed an oil-soaked pier early today, killing one man and destroying at least 11 boats and two cars while throwing a tower of black smoke into the sky, witnesses said.

Authorities ordered a brief evacuation of an area near the fire after hearing reports the pier was treated with creosote, a carcinogenic substance.

One man asleep in his boat when the fire broke out died when his craft caught fire, said Morro Bay Fire Department spokesman Fred Harpster. At least two other people were injured in the early morning blaze.

Pier Destroyed

The blaze destroyed the structure called the T Pier because of its shape, but efforts by the Fire Department, Harbor Patrol and Coast Guard saved the shops and restaurants lining the embarcadero near the pier.

The fire was reported at about 6:15 a.m. Morro Bay Police Sgt. Norman Smith said no loss figure had been determined for the city-owned pier, and the cause of the fire also was under investigation.

Bill Morgan and his wife, Mary Ann, said they saw the fire break out and after Morgan called the Fire Department they returned to the pier to knock on boats and awaken live-aboard occupants.

Shortly afterward, Morgan said, “The fire just went whoosh” and engulfed the pier off the city’s waterfront.

Burning Boats Towed

The crew of the Coast Guard cutter Point Winslow towed the burning boats away from the pier, where the flaming craft were feeding the fire.

The towed-away boats, both fishing and pleasure craft, were left burning as firefighters turned their attention to controlling the pier blaze.

One of the two burned cars was a Porsche sports model.

The fire was brought under control around 8 a.m.

“There’s a huge cloud of dark, oily smoke,” said Fred Peterson of radio station KSLY during the height of the blaze. “The pier is an old pier and soaked with oil from over the years. It’s a stubborn fire.”

The Great American Fish Company restaurant adjacent to the embarcadero was spared from the fire.

“Fortunately the wind was blowing offshore, which saved the restaurant,” a man who described himself as a friend of the owner said in a telephone interview. “It was close to the windows. They were too hot to touch for awhile.”

The man described the restaurant as being about 40 feet from the flames.

Morro Bay is about 175 miles northwest of Los Angeles.