OCEANSIDE, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Crews began demolition Wednesday on the end of the Oceanside Pier damaged in a stunning fire five months ago. The April 25 fire ripped through much of the western end of the storied boardwalk, including the old Ruby's Diner and an adjacent fast-bites kiosk. In attacking it by land and sea, however, firefighters were able to stop it before it involved any other parts of the structure. Brian Thomas, Oceanside city engineer, explained to FOX 5/KUSI demolition needs to happen before they can go back in and rebuild the parts of the pier that were impacted by the fire. Chipotle to open Escondido’s first drive-thru lane The work that began Wednesday included thermal cutting and removal of the diner's steel frame. Construction workers have placed a temporary platform under the end portion of the pier, called the "hammerhead," in order to catch any falling debris. "Once we get everything removed, we'll have a better idea what we're looking at structurally to determine whether or not its an extensive rebuild or whether it's cosmetic on the bottom part and just rebuild the upper portion of it," Thomas said. Demolition is expected to be a long, tricky process for Oceanside crews as they balance safety and impact on the pier's surroundings with their uncertainty of what exactly was destabilized by the fire. "Every day is a new challenge with this as we find additional information," Thomas said. "We discovered on Monday that some of the floor supports that we thought were fine just aren't there anymore because of the fire, so it's going to be difficult to get around and look at anything." Soccer match between Team USA and Mexico to take place in North County Among the preventive measures construction crews put in place are a fall protection and debris containment system, Thomas explained. In the event any debris does end up in the water, the city engineer added they have contingency plans in place to retrieve the items. "We're trying to do it safely, as methodically as possible," Thomas said. "No shortcuts, we're just trying to make sure we're doing it right." Once demolition is complete, Oceanside will then be able to draw up plans for the rebuild of the pier, apply for permits and funding, and get to work. This whole process, city officials say, can take anywhere from three to four years to complete.