US officials and residents in the populous state of California on Saturday held candlelight vigils, fund-raising event and other remembrance services to mark the third anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

To pay tribute to the heroes and victims who died in the attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania in Sept. 2001, Californians began the remembrances with a sunrise vigil at Los Angeles County's Hall of Administration and concludedwith a night candlelight vigil at the Museum of Tolerance.

At 5:45 a.m. local time (13:45 GMT)-- the exact moment when thefirst plane hit the World Trade Center (WTC) -- sirens on public safety vehicles blared for three minutes -- 60 seconds for each ofthe three crash sites.

Two hijacked airliners crashed into, and caused the collapse of,the twin 110-story WTC towers. A third plane hit the Pentagon and a fourth nose-dived into a Pennsylvania field as passengers stormed the cockpit in a bid to overpower the terrorists.

Near Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles city firefighters, Mayor Jim Hahn and other government officials attended a memorial service tohonor fallen firefighters and victims. The service was held in front of a 23 ton steel column that was once in the lobby of one of the World Trade Center Towers. The column, dedicated on last Sept. 11, is the largest remnant from the attacks on the West Coast.

In Huntington Beach in southwestern Los Angeles, a walk was held to raise funds for the 9/11 Children's Fund and Afghan ReliefFund.

Meanwhile, at the state Capitol in Sacramento, several hundred people gathered in the shadows of redwood trees and a massive American flag draped from a fire truck ladder to remember the attacks and honor troops fighting abroad.

The San Francisco Bay area city of San Ramon dedicated a Wall of Honor to recognize residents for service to their community, including Tom Burnett, who was aboard United Airlines Flight 93 when it crashed into a Pennsylvania field on Sept. 11.

At 9 p.m. local time (17:00 GMT), an observance was held at theMuseum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, where participants lit nearly 3,000 candles -- each with the name of a 9/11 victim on it.

With the possibility of an anniversary terrorist attack, additional uniformed officers were on patrol Los Angeles International Airport, which has long believed to be a prime target for terrorists.

"We recognize that anniversaries hold some significance and, therefore, we have allocated additional resources to handle any contingency that might occur," said Nancy Castles of Los Angeles International Airport.

Security was also increased for local football games and other sports events, officials said.

Source: Xinhua