SEAL BEACH : Pier Could Reopen by End of the Month

The city’s pier, which has been closed since a May 21 fire, could reopen by the end of the month, city officials said this week.

Workers are now finishing up a first round of fixes to the wood boardwalk.

Once those repairs are done, a temporary covering will be placed over the damaged portion of the pier and it will be reopened to the public through the busy summer tourist season, Mayor George Brown said.

A second and final set of repairs will take place sometime this fall when the lumber needed for the job is acquired, Brown said.

City officials had originally hoped to complete both phases of the repairs at one time.

But they have had trouble securing lumber, which must be treated with a fire-retardant coating before being attached to the pier.

The fire, which temporarily stranded more than 100 people at the end of the boardwalk, burned several wood crossbeams and supports. No one was injured.

Fire investigators believe the blaze was caused when charcoals from a makeshift barbecue fell below the pier and ignited a gas line. It caused $350,000 in damages.

Insurance will cover the repairs, but the city will still have to pay a $100,000 deductible--as it did in 1992 when another fire struck the pier.

It remains unclear exactly what effect the fire will have on the city’s budget.

Brown said city officials are now preparing the 1994-95 budget and should present it to the council within the next month.