“Pretty Good Jolt”: Earthquake, Aftershocks Shake Altadena and Pasadena

An earthquake originally reported as magnitude 5.3 but later downgraded to 5.2 and centered about 18.5 miles southwest of Bakersfield was felt across much of the Southland Tuesday evening, prompting local Fire Departments to activate “Earthquake Mode” protocols.

Pasadena Fire Department spokesperson Lisa Derderian told Pasadena Now that there were no reports of damage in Pasadena. The department has received numerous calls from residents who felt the quake.

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 seconds later.

Additional small aftershocks occurred over the ensuing 20 minutes.

There were no immediate reports of damage in Southern California.

LA Metro officials said trains would be running slower Tuesday night “as per our earthquake procedure to check for any damage.”

Derderian said that Pasadena Fire and other local departments have gone into ‘Earthquake Mode,’ meaning fire crews assess the viability of their stations and then send rigs into neighborhoods to survey for damage.

In Pasadena, Derderian said, it was a “pretty good jolt.”

Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said the state’s Office of Emergency Services and local first responders were “actively monitoring impacts” from the quake.