A magnitude-5.2 earthquake centered about 18.5 miles southwest of Bakersfield was felt across much of the Southland Tuesday evening, prompting the Los Angeles Fire Department to activate its “Earthquake Mode.”
The quake struck at 9:09 p.m. Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter is about 89 miles north of downtown LA.
The initial quake, which had a depth of 11 kilometers, was followed by a series of aftershocks in rapid succession. The first measured at 4.5 less than a minute later, followed by a magnitude-3.0 aftershock at 9:14 p.m., a magnitude-4.0 at 9:17 p.m. and a magnitude-3.8 a few second later.
More than two dozen additional small aftershocks occurred over the ensuing hour.
There were no immediate reports of damage in Southern California.
The LAFD said that “pursuant to protocol, the LAFD is now in earthquake mode, as personnel from all 106 neighborhood fire stations conduct a strategic survey by land, air and sea of their districts, examining critical infrastructure and areas of local concern across our 470 square mile city of Los Angeles jurisdiction.
“Once this process is complete and reports are consolidated, assuming there is no significant damage, LAFD Earthquake Mode will be complete.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass posted about the earthquake on X.
“A preliminary magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Mettler, CA was felt in the Los Angeles region this evening,” Bass wrote. “Our @LAFD has activated to conduct its routine survey of the city and assess for any damages. City teams will continue to monitor any impacts.”
LA Metro officials said trains would be running slower Tuesday night “as per our earthquake procedure to check for any damage.”
Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said the state’s Office of Emergency Services and local first responders were “actively monitoring impacts” from the quake.