The San Francisco power outage spread across the city’s northern and western neighborhoods Saturday, snarling transit and darkening traffic signals as officials urged people to avoid nonessential travel.
Outage hits a wide swath of the city
A massive outage knocked out electricity to about 130,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco on Saturday, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. The outage represented roughly one-third of PG&E’s customers in the city, leaving large sections without power for hours.
The blackout began in the early afternoon and initially affected the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and areas around Golden Gate Park. It later expanded, with more neighborhoods reporting power loss as the afternoon progressed.
PG&E did not immediately provide a detailed public explanation for what triggered the widespread outage. City agencies warned residents that the loss of power was affecting critical services well beyond homes and storefronts.
Fire reported at PG&E substation near 8th and Mission
At least some of the blackouts were linked to a fire inside a PG&E substation near 8th and Mission streets, according to fire officials. The incident was cited as a factor in the outage as crews worked to stabilize the system and assess damage.
The substation location is in the South of Market area, miles from some of the earliest impacted neighborhoods. That geographic spread added to the uncertainty about the scope of the problem and how quickly service could be restored citywide.
Officials did not say whether the substation fire fully explained the outage or whether additional equipment failures contributed. The cause remained under investigation as restoration efforts continued.
Businesses close, and streets go dark
As the outage grew, social media posts and local media described widespread disruptions across the city. Restaurants and shops closed midday, and some neighborhoods reported darkened streetlights and holiday displays.
The loss of traffic signals created immediate safety concerns and slowed vehicle movement on major corridors. City officials urged drivers to treat dark intersections as four-way stops and to reduce travel when possible.
The outage hit during the holiday season, when shopping areas and restaurants typically see heavier weekend crowds. For small businesses, the blackout meant lost sales and spoiled food, while residents faced interruptions to heating, cooking, and other basic needs.
Transit disruptions ripple across San Francisco
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management warned of “significant transit disruptions” happening across the city and advised residents to avoid nonessential travel. The city’s transportation agencies reported delays and service changes as the power failure affected stations and street infrastructure.
Muni service was disrupted, and some routes were adjusted as traffic signals failed and parts of the network lost power. BART also reported impacts, with some stations bypassed or service altered because of the outage.
The transit issues compounded congestion on surface streets, especially where signal outages backed up vehicle queues. Riders were urged to check for service advisories before traveling and to expect delays if travel was unavoidable.
PG&E says grid stabilized, restoration timeline unclear
By about 4 p.m., PG&E said it had stabilized the power grid and was not expecting additional customers to lose service. However, the utility said it could not confirm whether power would be restored by Saturday.
Later updates from local reporting indicated that power had been restored for many customers by Saturday evening, while tens of thousands remained without electricity and crews continued working overnight. Officials did not provide a neighborhood-by-neighborhood timeline that would cover every customer still affected.
With the cause still being assessed, city agencies continued to emphasize public safety measures during the outage. That included checking on neighbors who may need help, avoiding elevators in buildings without power, and treating all dark traffic signals as stop-controlled intersections.
What residents can do during outages?
City guidance generally urges people to prioritize safety during large outages, especially when traffic signals are down, and transit is disrupted. Residents are typically advised to limit travel, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to preserve food, and use flashlights instead of candles when possible.
For outage updates, PG&E directs customers to check its outage center for status updates and alerts. City resources also point residents to official guidance on how to prepare for and respond to outages, including looking out for older adults and people with medical or mobility needs.
Sources:
Associated Press – “San Francisco outages leave 130,000 without power.”
