2 Mild Quakes Hit Southland; No Injuries

Two mild earthquakes rumbled through Southern California within 4 1/2 hours of each other, rattling buildings but causing no reported injuries or major damage.

The quakes hit late Monday night in Orange County and early Tuesday at Big Bear Lake.

A quake measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale struck near Newport Beach at 11:03 p.m. Monday, the Seismology Laboratory at Caltech reported.

Caltech’s Nancy Durland described the epicenter of the quake as about three miles northeast of Newport Beach.

Local officials said they had no reports of injury or damage.

“What earthquake?” asked a dispatcher at the Orange County Fire Department.

A second temblor of 3.7 magnitude on the Richter scale hit three miles north of Big Bear Lake at 3:13 a.m. Tuesday, Durland said.

San Bernardino County Fire and Sheriff’s departments said no injuries or damage was reported.

The Oct. 1 earthquake centered at Whittier Narrows in Los Angeles County registered 5.9 on the Richter scale.