San Francisco Blackout: 130,000 Without Power as Substation Fire Sparks Citywide Crisis

A massive power outage has left nearly 130,000 PG&E customers without electricity across San Francisco. The blackout began on the morning of Saturday, December 20, 2025, affecting roughly one-third of the city’s population. It escalated dramatically after a fire broke out inside a critical substation.

The cascading failures disrupted public transit, forced widespread business closures, and left officials scrambling. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, this represents one of the largest blackouts the city has seen in years, striking during the busy holiday shopping weekend.

Chronology of a Cascading Grid Failure

The first wave of outages hit around 9:40 a.m. It initially impacted over 14,600 customers in the Inner Sunset and Forest Hill areas. A second, larger failure followed just thirty minutes later, cutting power to an additional 24,800 customers across the Presidio, Richmond, and Market Street districts.

The situation reached a critical point at 2:15 p.m. Fire erupted inside the PG&E substation at 8th and Mission streets. Firefighters discovered smoke on the first floor of the four-story building. This event accelerated the already-spreading blackouts into a full citywide crisis.

Widespread Impact on Neighborhoods and Infrastructure

The geographic reach of the outage was extensive. Neighborhoods from the Outer Sunset to Hayes Valley and the Mission District were plunged into darkness. Separate outage zones near Alamo Square and along Van Ness Avenue compounded the chaos.

The impact on daily life was immediate and severe. Traffic signals went dark, creating hazardous driving conditions. BART trains were forced to bypass Powell and Civic Center stations due to the lack of power. Muni service was also heavily disrupted, with trains skipping key stops.

Business and Cultural Toll During Peak Season

The timing during the holiday season magnified the economic damage. Countless restaurants and retailers were forced to shutter, losing crucial weekend revenue. Landmarks like the California Academy of Sciences and all San Francisco public library branches closed their doors and sent visitors home.

Establishments like Julie’s Pizza and the Bazaar Cafe had to close, leaving staff without work. The loss of refrigeration threatened food supplies across the city. The iconic neon blade sign at the 500 Club in the Mission District went dark, symbolizing the widespread disruption.

Ongoing Investigation and Lack of Restoration Timeline

Fire crews extinguished the substation blaze by 6:00 p.m. PG&E investigators then entered the building to determine the exact cause. The complexity of the interconnected failures made assessment difficult.

In a statement that frustrated many, PG&E could not provide any estimated timeline for power restoration as of 5:30 p.m. Mayor Daniel Lurie activated the city’s Emergency Operations Center. He urged residents to exercise extreme caution on roads with non-functioning traffic lights.

The ongoing San Francisco power outage highlights critical vulnerabilities in urban infrastructure. Full restoration for all 130,000 affected customers may take considerable time as investigators piece together the cause of this cascading failure.

A quick knowledge drop for you

Which San Francisco neighborhoods were most affected by the blackout?

The outage impacted a huge swath of the city. Areas included the Inner and Outer Sunset, the Richmond District, the Presidio, Hayes Valley, the Mission District, and zones near Alamo Square and Van Ness Avenue.

What caused the substation fire at 8th and Mission?

The exact cause is under investigation by PG&E. Fire officials reported smoke was discovered on the first floor of the substation building around 2:15 p.m., which then ignited into a blaze that firefighters battled for hours.

How did the blackout affect public transportation?

BART trains bypassed Powell and Civic Center stations due to the power loss. Muni service was also severely disrupted, with announcements that trains would not stop at Van Ness and Civic Center stations during the outage.

Why couldn’t PG&E provide a power restoration time?

The scale and cascading nature of the failures made immediate assessment impossible. The company stated it needed to fully evaluate the damage across multiple interconnected outage zones before providing estimates to the public.

What was the economic impact of the outage?

It was significant, especially on a key holiday shopping Saturday. Thousands of businesses, from small cafes to major cultural institutions, were forced to close, resulting in lost revenue and wages for employees.

How many customers lost power in total?

The blackout affected approximately 130,000 PG&E customers. This figure represents nearly one-third of the utility’s customer base within San Francisco city limits.