A powerful earthquake with a preliminary 6.4 magnitude rocked Southern California on Thursday morning, officials said, as they warned that strong aftershocks are expected.
The epicenter of the Fourth of July quake was near Searles Valley in the Mojave Desert, which is about 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Structure fires were reported in the nearby city of Ridgecrest, according to Kern County fire officials.
The Los Angeles Police Department said it has not received any reports of damage or calls for service.
"This was a strong one, and a good reminder to be prepared," the LAPD tweeted.
At this time, the LAPD has not received any reports of damage or calls for service within the City of Los Angeles related to the #earthquake. Remember, 911 is only to report emergencies. This was a strong one, and a good reminder to be prepared 🔗 https://t.co/fURDNcMhhQ
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) July 4, 2019
This story is developing. Please check back for more updates.
A preliminary magnitude 6.4 earthquake rocked Southern California on Thursday, igniting fires, triggering medical emergencies and shaking an area for hundreds of miles.
The United States Geological Survey said the quake was centered near Ridgecrest, an inland Kern County city about 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Multiple large aftershocks rolled through the region in the minutes that followed.
The quake was felt in Los Angeles all the way to Las Vegas, more than 200 miles northeast of Ridgecrest. Social media lit up, and photos showed debris shaken from shelves in the Ridgecrest area.
The Kern County Fire Department said it was working nearly two dozens incidents ranging from medical assistance to structure fires in and around the city of Ridgecrest. Urban Search and Rescue teams were en route, the department said.
In San Bernardino County, east of the epicenter, the Fire Department reported no injuries but added that "buildings and roads have sustained varying degrees of damage."
The Los Angeles Fire Department also weighed in, tweeting that "We are aware of the significant earthquake that just occurred in SoCal PLEASE do NOT call 9-1-1 unless there are injuries or other dangerous questions Please do not call for questions."
USGS reported that the quake started 11 miles outside Ridgecrest at 10:33 a.m. The agency originally reported it had a magnitude of 6.6, later scaling it down to 6.4. Aftershocks of 4.7 and 3.0 magnitudes were reported minutes later.
A 4.0 magnitude quake reported by the in the area about half an hour before by the USGS was described as foreshock by Lucy Jones, a seismologist and founder of the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science & Society, on her Twitter.
"It's certain that this area will be shaken a lot today," Jones said at a news briefing. "Some of those aftershocks might exceed magnitude 5."
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