Millions of residents in the Los Angeles area were rattled by a 4.7 magnitude earthquake that hit early on Thursday morning and came as the region continues to battle multiple wildfires that have yet to be brought under control.
The quake’s epicenter was 4 miles north of Malibu, according to the US Geological Survey. The tremor unleashed boulders on to a Malibu road, visibly shook Santa Monica’s historic 1909 wooden pier and jolted people from bed. No injuries or damages were immediately reported.
The shaking was felt as far as 45 miles (72km) away in Orange county, where people reported items moving in their homes, and was followed by several smaller aftershocks. A live camera at the 115-year-old Santa Monica pier, about 10 miles away from Malibu, showed several seconds of intense shaking. Bruce Silverstein, a Malibu councilmember, said he had lived in the community for 13 years and this was the hardest quake he’d felt yet.