A second major earthquake to hit Southern California in less than two days sent jittery residents out on the streets Friday night.
The 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit 11 miles northeast of Ridgecrest, according to the US Geological Survey. It comes a day after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake centered near Ridgecrest rattled the region. That earthquake has produced more than 1,400 aftershocks, scientists said.
Shortly after the latest earthquake, Ridgecrest Regional Hospital wheeled out patients — some still hooked to their IV stands. Nurses tended to patients outside in the dark as sirens wailed. Hotels near the hospital suffered power outages, plunging the area in darkness.
In downtown Ridgecrest, firefighters battled the raging flames on a home, preventing them from hopscotching to other houses in the residential area.
Multiple fires and injuries have been reported in Ridgecrest — about 150 miles from Los Angeles — after Friday’s earthquake, Kern County spokeswoman Megan Person said. The county has activated an emergency operations
