A 4.7 magnitude earthquake has rattled the Los Angeles area unleashing boulders onto a Malibu road, visibly shaking Santa Monica’s 1909 wooden pier.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered 4 miles (7 kilometers) north of Malibu and was about 7 miles (11 kilometers) below the surface.
According to reports, the jolt was felt as far as 45 miles (72 kilometers) away in Orange County.
Officials around the region said authorities were surveying for damage, but had not found anything major.
Los Angeles County sheriff Lt. Adam Zeko said the quake jolted the area and shook for about 15 or 20 seconds.
Malibu Council member, Bruce Silverstein said he has lived in the community for 13 years and this was the hardest quake yet, but nothing broke.
The quake comes as the region has been dealing with three major wildfires burning east of Los Angeles that torched dozens of homes and forced thousands to evacuate.
The blazes erupted during a blistering heat wave that has just subsided.
A number of quakes have been felt in the area in recent months, including a 4.4 magnitude earthquake in August that rattled nerves from the Los Angeles area to San Diego, swaying buildings, knocking items off shelves and setting off car alarms. The temblor caused a pipe to burst at the ornate 1927 Pasadena City Hall building.
