A couple of viral videos claiming to show a powerful earthquake in California amid the raging wildfires in the state are circulating online. This is false.
None of the clips in the videos was taken in California, and all were recorded last year.
Two Facebook (FB) users published the erroneous videos on Jan. 15. One had this line flashed: “earthquake in California right now omg.” It also carried this caption: “After the fire, 3.2 mag Earthquake on Jan. 13”
The other bore the following: “Hala jiosko lorrd lindol naman ohh my God lord (Oh, no. Lord! Now, it’s an earthquake. Oh, my God, Lord).”
The one-minute video showed various spliced clips of tremors shaking the ground as buildings violently swayed and people were screaming in alarm.
A reverse image search showed that three of the clips in the video compilation were taken in Japan while one was taken in Taiwan.
While there have been minor tremors recorded all over California since the start of the year, no major earthquake has been documented, according to data from the Southern California Earthquake Data Center.
The videos circulated as wildfires burned throughout parts of California, claiming the lives of 27 people, destroying thousands of structures and with tens of thousands of people forced from their homes.
The two FB users’ videos have collectively garnered over 22,900 reactions, 4,500 comments, 24,100 shares and 3.9 million views.
