SAN DIEGO (AP) — A 5.2-magnitude earthquake shook Southern California on Monday morning, swaying lights and rattling cups off shelves, but officials reported no injuries or major damage.
The quake was centered in San Diego County near the mountain town of Julian, which is known for its apple pie shops, and was felt as far north as Los Angeles
A San Diego County firefighter who answered the phone at the Julian fire station said there were no reports of damage and no calls for service after what was a “good shaking.” The county police and sheriff’s departments also said they had received no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Riley Ozuna, owner of the Julian Cafe & Bakery, said some cups fell onto the ground at her business. “But everything is OK,” she said.
Schoolchildren were escorted outside of buildings as a precaution when the ground started moving, said Capt. Thomas Shoots of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for San Diego County. He got a shake alert and then started feeling things rolling and swaying.
“There was a lot of shaking and rattling around,” he said. “But thankfully everything seems to be back to normal.”
Paul Nelson, owner of the Eagle Mining Co., an old-fashioned gold mine in Julian where visitors can learn about panning for gold, said it shook “pretty good” but there was no damage at the mine or the gift shop.
He said a couple of picture frames on the checkout counter at the gift shop were knocked over.
“I thought the single-pane windows were going to crack because they were shaking pretty good, but they didn’t,” he said.
Nelson said there was a smaller quake in the area on Sunday when there were 20 to 30 visitors at the mine and that everyone stayed calm and continued their visit after it was over. Monday’s shake was stronger and longer but there were no visitors yet, he said.
“People are freaking out because it was kind of strong and it knocked things off the shelves,” he said, adding that there was a helicopter flying over the area.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the earthquake, his office said in a statement on social media. The state is working with local first responders to assess any damage.
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Associated Press writers Christopher Weber in Los Angeles and Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this report.
Julie Watson, The Associated Press
