USGS reports 5.1 earthquake strikes in Lake County

UPPER LAKE, Calif. (KGO) -- The U.S Geological Survey reported a 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck 11 miles northeast of Upper Lake in Lake County Tuesday evening.

The U.S Geological Survey reported the quake struck at 7:57 p.m. and its epicenter is believed to be about 50 miles from Healdsburg in Sonoma County, and 85 miles from Sacramento. Two small aftershocks of 2.7 and 3.0 could be felt about 30 minutes after the initial quake.

The earthquake was felt as far inland as Chico and as far out to the coast as Fort Bragg.

The quake lasted a total of 20 seconds, with the strongest jolt lasting about two seconds.

Those in nearby small communities definitely felt the shaking. "Whole truck felt like wobbling, first thing we thought was earthquake or maybe not just something wrong with the truck," a resident named Daron said.

"This is indeed a moderate quake felt widely throughout Northern California and it is one of the largest we've seen in that particular area in the last 30 years, so it's a significant event, but it's very remote. The nearest cities that we have are Glen Haven, Lucerne and Upper Lake and these are very small communities in Northern California and therefore we're not expecting a great deal of damage, " USGS spokesperson Dale Grant said.

"We could see anywhere from three to five aftershocks in the next week, but the probability of having a large quake is about 10 percent," USGS spokesperson Brad Aagaard said.

The Lake County Sheriff dispatch reported no damage or injuries and said firefighters were battling a small wildfire nearby. Residents and business owners in the region reported swaying light fixtures and scared pets, but no damage or injuries.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.