San Francisco began returning to normal late Saturday night after a widespread power outage plunged large parts of the city into darkness, disrupting transportation, businesses, and public events during one of the busiest weekends of the holiday season.
The outage affected more than 130,000 electricity customers at its peak, making it one of the most significant power disruptions the city has experienced in recent years. Utility crews worked through the evening to restore service, and by late night, power had been returned to a majority of affected areas
Outage Spread Rapidly Across Multiple Neighborhoods
The first reports of power loss emerged mid-morning in western neighborhoods, before spreading quickly to central and downtown areas. Districts including the Richmond, Sunset, Mission, Tenderloin, Civic Center, and South of Market were among those impacted. Traffic signals failed at numerous intersections, leading to severe congestion and safety concerns across major corridors.
City officials urged drivers to treat darkened intersections as four-way stops and asked residents to limit non-essential travel while crews worked to stabilize the electrical grid.
Substation Fire Identified as Key Factor
Authorities confirmed that a fire inside a major Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) substation in the South of Market area played a significant role in the outage. Firefighters responded promptly, and workers at the facility were evacuated as a precaution. The blaze was extinguished without injuries.
While investigators continue to determine the exact cause, PG&E stated that the incident forced emergency shutdowns to prevent further damage and allow safe repairs
Transit Systems and Events Severely Disrupted
Public transportation experienced widespread delays. Several downtown BART stations were temporarily closed, and train lines operated on limited routes for several hours. Muni subway services were suspended in tunnels, requiring surface shuttles to replace normal operations.
The outage also forced the cancellation of live performances and temporarily shut down retail businesses during a peak shopping day. Entertainment venues, pharmacies, and autonomous ride services halted operations until power stability could be confirmed.
City Response and Ongoing Review
San Francisco’s emergency management teams coordinated closely with utility crews throughout the day. Officials emphasized public safety and asked residents not to contact emergency services solely to report outages unless a life-threatening situation existed.
City leaders described the scale of the outage as unacceptable and indicated that a full review would follow once service is fully restored. PG&E confirmed that grid stability has been re-established and that crews remain on standby in case of additional issues
Gradual Return to Normalcy
By late evening, electricity had been restored to approximately 70 percent of affected customers, with remaining households expected to regain service overnight. Officials cautioned that rain and damaged infrastructure could slow final restoration efforts.
The incident has renewed discussions about infrastructure resilience in San Francisco, particularly during periods of high demand and major public activity.
