Aftershock of June 16 Quake Shakes Yucaipa

A small aftershock from a June 16 earthquake rattled Yucaipa and surrounding communities at 3:17 p.m. Monday, causing no damage or injury.

The magnitude-4.0 tremor was centered three miles northeast of Yucaipa, and was the largest of 40 to 50 aftershocks that followed the 4.9 quake that rumbled through the region almost two weeks ago, said Egill Hauksson, a senior research associate in geophysics at Caltech in Pasadena.

“People can expect more aftershocks,” Hauksson said, noting that the resulting tremors can continue years after an initial quake.

San Bernardino County and Riverside County sheriff’s department officials said their agencies received no quake-related damage or injury calls.

“It really was a very minor shake, even right here,” said Yucaipa Fire Chief Clyde Chittenden.

“Not even a report of anything falling off a shelf this time.”

Yucaipa residents were hardly fazed by the latest tremor.

“People are saying that I should move, but I won’t. I’ve been living here for over 20 years,” said Andy Patel, owner of the local Arnett’s Market and Smoke Shop. While the last quake caused minor damage inside Patel’s shop, this one did not.

“This was nothing compared to the last one. If they continue this way, I’m headed to Colorado,” said Yucaipa resident Janet MacNeill, whose plans to move soon are not related to earthquakes.

“As long as everything stays standing and the windows stay where they are, and we’re safe, then we’ll be fine.”

Student Amanda Arnett was not quite as calm: “I thought, ‘Oh, here we go again,’ ” said Arnett, 18. “Earthquakes always make me nervous.”

Small faults in the area are pushing the Crafton Hills upward and causing intermittent shakes such as Monday’s, which was geographically very close to the June 16 quake, Hauksson said.

“Well, it’s Southern California,” said real estate agent Ken Patterson, 49, a lifelong resident of California and a seven-year Yucaipa resident. “It’s got to be at least a ‘7’ to get me out of bed.”