LOS ANGELES — A moderate earthquake that rattled a swath of Southern California forced several dozen people in one community out of their homes and apartments after firefighters discovered foundation problems that made the buildings unsafe to enter, authorities said Saturday.

Fire inspectors red-tagged 20 apartment units in a building in the Orange County city of Fullerton after finding a major foundation crack. Structural woes including broken chimneys and leaning were uncovered in half a dozen single-family homes, which were also deemed as unsafe to occupy until building inspectors clear the structures. The damage displaced 83 residents.

Despite the evacuations, Friday night’s magnitude-5.1 quake centered about 25 miles south of downtown Los Angeles mostly frayed nerves.

The quake was preceded by two smaller foreshocks, and more than 100 aftershocks followed including a magnitude-3.4 that hit Saturday morning. No injuries were reported.

Residents were inconvenienced and some lost valuables, but “thankfully the damage wasn’t greater,” said Chi-Chung Keung, a spokesman for the city of Fullerton.

Business owners in Orange County spent the aftermath sweeping up shattered glass and restocking shelves. Utility crews worked to restore power and shut off gas leaks and water main breaks. A rock slide in the Carbon Canyon area of nearby Brea remained closed to traffic.

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The Red Cross opened a shelter in neighboring La Habra and closed it once 38 people who stayed overnight returned home.

“Everything is starting to get settled down here,” La Habra police Sgt. Mel Ruiz said.

In Fullerton, some residents will have to stay elsewhere until building inspectors can check out the red-tagged apartments and houses and give an all-clear, Fire Battalion Chief John Stokes said.

Another 14 residential structures around the city suffered lesser damage, including collapsed fireplaces.

A water-main break flooded several floors of Brea City Hall, and the shaking knocked down computers and ceiling tiles, Stokes said.

Friday’s jolt was the strongest to strike Greater Los Angeles since 2008.


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