Edgewater fire guts pier along Hudson River

EDGEWATER (WABC) -- Firefighters are checking for hot spots after a pier along the Hudson River went up in flames overnight Wednesday.

The fire broke out at pier off River Road in Edgewater, not far from borough hall, just after midnight.

The good news is that no injuries were reported to pedestrians or responders, but the wooden pier was gutted and the portion that extends into the river is nearly gone.

Firefighters had their hands full early on, as the tide was too low to make use of a fire boat. And because the flames were burning under the pier, they had to run a line about 1,000 feet from a hydrant on River Road to put water on the fire.

They also faced other complications, and it took about an hour and a half to get a handle on the fire.

"The wind was blowing, and it just kept on lighting up," Edgewater Fire Chief Tom Jacobson said. "And it was burning from underneath, so we couldn't get underneath it, where it was burning. So we had to fight it from the top and cut holes to get down under and throw guys down almost in the water to reach underneath it with land lines."

The bulk of the fire was on the extended part of the pier, which will have to be demolished. There are buildings and apartments adjacent to the pier, but the fire department says they was never in danger.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, and arson investigators are on the scene.