Are there any towns in Cali without earthquakes?

Question

My husband and I plan to move w/o our two kids to California. However, we are still in our researching phase. Are there any nice family towns/cities that are earthquake and fire free? We would still like to be within a reasonable distance to LA.

Thanks!

Answer 1

No place on earth is completely tectonically stable, and earthquakes can be felt anywhere. Even in the middle of a usually stable area there can be occasional large earthquakes like the famous one in New Madrid Missouri, and in some areas the shaking can spread out a great distance from the epicenter.The frequency of earthquakes is greatest in areas near plate boundaries, and California (like most of the western edge of the US) is near plate boundaries. All of southern California is earthquake prone with a high probability of a 7+ scale earthquake at some future date. If one hits somewhere in Southern California, the entire region will feel the shake.

As for fires, with the exception of areas with no vegetation whatsoever, wildfire is possible everywhere in California. The lowest probability is an area which has burned recently because it has little fuel for a new fire, but that changes quickly as new brush and trees grow.

The summary answer to your question is no, there is no place in California close to LA free of fire and quake.

Answer 2

no most of the western United States has very high geological action, Nevada is the most active after Alaska

Answer 3

I don't believe that anywhere in the Western U.S. and much of the Eastern U.S. are earthquake proof so to speak.  However, if you are away from the major fault lines your chances of experiencing a devastating earthquake will diminish significantly.  I would suggest looking into San Diego which is a great city which does not carry a great risk of having a major seismic event.