California was hit by an earthquake Friday as the state battled deadly wildfires earlier this week.
A 3.7 magnitude quake was detected near the San Francisco Bay area around 7:02am PT.
The tremor’s epicenter was about five miles southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge and two miles west of the Great Highway.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) shows more than 5,000 people reported feeling the shake in the area, and the number is growing.
The area sits on the San Andreas Fault line, which runs through from Cape Mendocino in the north to the Salton Sea in the south.
The quake was followed by a 2.2 magnitude aftershock centered in the same area about 4 minutes later and a 2.5 magnitude six minutes after the initial hit.
The seismic activity also happened about 350 miles away from the Los Angeles area where devastating wildfires killed at least 10 and forced 180,000 from their homes.
As of Friday morning, over 10,000 structures have been burned down, with a total of 29,053 acres of land scorched in one of Los Angeles’ most horrific disasters to date.
Mayor Daniel Lurie said on Friday: ‘I ordered city government into action immediately this morning, and our first responders have been out across the city ensuring the safety of our residents.’
The USGS detected a 3.0 magnitude earthquake on Thursday, less than 100 miles from Friday’s quake, along with a 2.8 and 2.6 on Tuesday.
Scientists have said that the West Coast is overdue for a massive quake along the San Andreas fault, a major fracture in the Earth’s crust that spans 800 miles up and down California.
The ‘Big One’ would measure an 8.0 magnitude or above, causing roughly 1,800 deaths, 50,000 injuries and $200 billion in damage, according to the California Earthquake Authority.
The Calabasas blaze, named the Kenneth Fire, was allegedly caused by an arsonist, who has been apprehended by police.
Dozens of blocks of scenic Pacific Palisades were flattened to smoldering rubble.
Metropolitan LA and its 13 million residents woke up Friday to yet another day of fire-stoking winds and the threat of new flare-ups.
For the full article, visit: Daily Mail.
