Southern California rocked by strongest quake in two decades

LOS ANGELES, United States — Southern California was rocked by its largest earthquake in two decades on Thursday, a 6.4-magnitude tremor that caused "substantial damage" at a military facility but otherwise only minor injuries in the sparsely populated area.

The shallow quake, followed by dozens of aftershocks, struck in the Mojave Desert six miles (10 kilometers) from the small city of Ridgecrest at 10:33 am (1733 GMT).

It was felt 160 miles away in Los Angeles and even as far afield as Las Vegas in the neighboring state of Nevada, as the United States celebrated its July 4 Independence Day holiday.

Although the quake in the most populous US state of California revived fears of the "Big One"—a powerful tremor along the San Andreas Fault that could devastate major cities in Southern California—President Trump was quick to reassure that this wasn't it.

"All seems to be very much under control!" he tweeted two hours after the quake in the Searles Valley of San Bernardino County.

The area "will continue having a lot of aftershocks," some maybe as strong as magnitude five, California Institute of Technology seismologist Lucy Jones told a press conference.

The earthquake was the largest in Southern California since 1999 when a 7.1-magnitude quake struck the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps base, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Thursday's epicenter was in or on the edge of the US Navy's sprawling desert bomb testing range known as China Lake.

The Naval Air Weapons Station covers 1.1 million acres (445,000 hectares) and strictly controls the airspace above it. Inside, the Navy develops and tests missiles, bombs, artillery shells and other war ordnance, and the aircraft used to deliver it.

An official at China Lake told AFP there was "substantial damage" to their facilities, including fires, water leaks and spills of hazardous materials.

Paul Dale, the station's commanding officer, said later at a news conference that officials were making "damage assessments," and declined to elaborate.

Panic 

David Witt, the fire chief in Kern County which includes Ridgecrest, reported "minor, minor injuries," stemming from broken glass and shelves falling down in supermarkets.

He was not able to provide an exact number of casualties.

Peggy Breeden, mayor of Ridgecrest which has a population of 28,000, said the local hospital had been evacuated as a precaution, and she had received reports of a handful of house fires.

Some areas of the city had lost power, while gas had been cut due to ruptured lines, she said.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department said that "buildings and roads have sustained varying degrees of damage."

This included "buildings with minor cracks, broken water mains, power lines down, rock slides on certain roads."

The quake struck at a depth of 6.6 miles (10.7 kilometers) in the vast desert region.

Residents told local TV that the shaking set off panic, while sending televisions plunging to the ground and causing drawers to fall open.

AFP reporters in Los Angeles clearly felt the earthquake for about 10 seconds.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said there was no significant damage in the second-largest US city.

'Even bigger earthquake' 

Jones said there is a small possibility this quake is the prelude to a larger one.

"There is about a one-in-20 chance that this location will be having an even bigger earthquake within the next few days, that we have not yet seen the biggest earthquake of the sequence," she said.

"There have been hundreds of earthquakes today," she said, including more than 100 that the United States Geological Survey measured at greater than magnitude 2.5.

But Jones noted that the quake was not along the San Andreas fault.

"It is an area with a lot of little faults but no long fault," she tweeted.

For filmmaker Ava DuVernay, a lifelong resident of Los Angles, "that was the longest earthquake I've ever experienced. Not jerky. Smooth and rolling. But it was loooong."

source: philstar.com

‘Firenadoes’ in California threaten 82,000

PHELAN, Calif. -- An inferno scorching swathes of southern California threatened the homes of more than 82,000 people Wednesday, sending flaming "firenadoes" tearing across the brush and prompting a state of emergency.

More than 1,300 firefighters were battling the giant blaze, with more on the way, but they were unable to contain the blaze as of early Wednesday.

Dramatic local TV news footage captured from the front line of the wildfire in the town of Phelan showed tornado-like flaming vortexes sent spinning into the air by the unusual ferocity of the blaze.

"We have very, very dry brush, thick fuel, it helps move it along very quickly," Lynne Tolmachoff, spokeswoman for the state firefighting agency Cal Fire, told AFP.

"It is very dangerous to the public and also to the firefighters."

Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County, just 60 miles (100 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, where the so-called Bluecut Fire was quickly growing, its cause still unclear.

The inferno began around 10:30 am (1730 GMT) Tuesday and has already burned through 30,000 acres (more than 12,000 hectares), according to the multi-agency Inciweb information site.

More than 34,500 homes were threatened and 82,640 people were under evacuation warnings.

"There is imminent threat to public safety, rail traffic and structures in the Cajon Pass, Lytle Creek, Wrightwood, Oak Hills and surrounding areas," Inciweb said.

From the highway between Wrightwood and Lytle Creek, a thick cloud of smoke could be seen blanketing the entire valley.

'Not worth your life'

A dozen fire trucks awaited orders to evacuate Paso Lane, located between several hills that were being devoured by flames, columns of smoke billowing into the sky.

"The whole community is being evacuated," said local firefighter Mike Anderson, who had been battling the blaze with his team for more than 24 straight hours.

"The fire is moving very fast straight through Highway 138, it is still growing."

Chon Bribiescas of the US Forest Services said later that the evacuation area was being expanded, with the wind picking up and the temperature soaring to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius).

"The fire is consuming 100 acres in a few minutes instead of 100 per hour," she told AFP, adding that many residents had decided against the best advice to remain in their homes.

"In California, we cannot force people from their homes, but that means we have firefighters that have to come back to the mandatory evacuation zones instead of fighting the fire.

"I try to tell people that there is nothing in your home that is worth your life."

At a gas station in the outpost of Pinon Hills, 10 miles northwest of the fire, Jeannine Yglesia was buying ice with her 24-year-old son.

"I have 17 to 18 people staying at my house now, friends and their families that have had to evacuate from Wrightwood," she said.

Gail Nieto, a 65-year-old woman buying groceries, was forced to flee Wrightwood on Tuesday night.

"It's the fourth time in 30 years, but it's the fastest-growing fire I have ever seen," she said, trembling.

Perfect conditions

Among equipment already deployed were 152 fire engines, eight air tankers plus two Very Large Air Tankers, and eight helicopters, including night-flying helicopters.

The inferno has claimed one high-profile victim so far: the Summit Inn, an old-fashioned diner on the world-famous Route 66 that counted celebrities Elvis Presley and Clint Eastwood among its clientele.

There was little left other than the sign hanging above the smoldering ashes.

Two firefighters were slightly injured after they were surrounded by flames. They were treated at a hospital and released, and were back fighting the blaze, Inciweb said.

Several area roads were closed, along with the Mountain High ski resort in Wrightwood, which hosts hiking and other outdoor activities in warmer months.

It was rare to have so many people evacuated, Tolmachoff said.

California is in its fifth year of a record drought and parts of the state are sizzling in a heat wave with temperatures topping 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Strong seasonal gusts known as the Santa Ana winds complete the perfect conditions for wildfires.

Thousands of firefighters are committed to several other major fires across California, including one 100 miles north of San Francisco that has charred 4,000 acres, destroying 175 buildings.

In central California's wine region, the Chimney fire has burned 7,300 acres near the city of San Luis Obispo, destroying 40 buildings, while 76,000 acres have been scorched in the scenic coastal area of Big Sur.

source: interaksyon.com

California mayor under fire for leaving dog poo on neighbor's lawn

The mayor of the wealthy Southern California city of San Marino was under fire on Tuesday after police said he was caught on camera apparently leaving a bag of dog feces in his neighbor’s walkway.

Surveillance tape monitoring the exterior of the residence captured Mayor Dennis Kneier leaving what was said to be a bag of dog feces on a private walkway leading to his neighbor’s home on Saturday evening, San Marino Police said in a statement.

The owner of the home, who claimed to identify Kneier and his wife in the footage, called the police but does not intend to press any littering charges, police said. The department is still considering the incident open for investigation. 

Kneier and his representatives did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking comment on the matter. But the Whittier Daily News said the mayor later sent a letter to his neighbor apologizing for the incident.

“Late in the day this past Saturday, June 7, Liz and I were returning from a walk in Lacy Park when we noticed a bag of dog waste in your west parkway near the lamp post,” the letter states.

“Rather than leave it or dispose of it properly, I placed it on your side walkway. This was a mistake, for which I apologize. It won’t happen again.”

source: interaksyon.com

‘Fast & Furious’ star dies in car crash while holding charity event for Yolanda victims

Actor Paul Walker died in a car crash in Southern California on Saturday afternoon, according to TMZ.com. He was 40 years old.

Citing multiple sources close to Walker,  the report said the star of the “Fast and the Furious” movies and an unidentified companion died immediately after the new Porsche GT they were riding “slammed into a post or a tree … and then the car burst into flames”.

A post on his Facebook page confirmed the news and said his companion was driving the car.

“It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide. He was a passenger in a friend’s car, in which both lost their lives. We appreciate your patience as we too are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news. Thank you for keeping his family and friends in your prayers during this very difficult time. We will do our best to keep you apprised on where to send condolences,” the message said.

Walker was in Santa Clarita, a city located 53 kilometers north of Los Angeles, attending a car show to raise money for typhoon victims in the Philippines.

The car show was a charity event for Reach Out Worldwide, the disaster relief organization he founded in 2010 after joining earthquake relief efforts in Chile and Haiti. Reach Out Worldwide has sent medical teams to areas in the Visayas ravaged by supertyphoon Yolanda.

Last week, the actor and his co-stars on ‘Fast & Furious 7″appealed to fans of the film series to donate to the relief efforts in the Philippines in a video shot on the set of the film and uploaded to YouTube by Reach Out Worldwide.

Walker made his film feature debut in the 1998 comedy “Meet the Deedles”, followed by supporting roles in “Pleasantville”, “Varsity Blues”, “She’s All That” and “The Skulls”.

His breakthrough role came in 2001′s “The Fast and the Furious” as Brian O’Conner, an undercover detective who infiltrates the street race scene in Los Angeles to help solve a series of semi-trailer truck hijackings in the area.

The film turned into a franchise that released its sixth installment earlier this year. In May, Walker and co-stars Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez came to Manila to attend the Asian premiere of “Fast & Furious 6″.

It was not yet known if he had finished filming “Fast & Furious 7″, which is set for release on July 14, 2014.

source: interaksyon.com