San Francisco Blackout: Substation Fire Plunges 130,000 Into Holiday Weekend Darkness

A major power outage crippled San Francisco on Saturday. The blackout hit during the busy holiday shopping weekend. It affected around 130,000 homes and businesses.

The outage began shortly after 1 p.m. local time. It was triggered by a fire at a critical electrical substation. City officials and utility crews scrambled to respond.

Grid Damage and Widespread Disruption

The fire caused significant damage at a Pacific Gas and Electric substation. According to Reuters, the damage was extensive. Repair work was described as complex by the utility.

Power was restored to most customers by early Sunday. Roughly 21,000 remained without electricity for hours longer. PG&E mobilized extra engineers to handle the repairs.

The impact on the city was immediate and severe. Traffic lights failed across multiple neighborhoods. Police officers had to direct traffic at major intersections manually.

Economic and Holiday Weekend Fallout

The timing worsened the outage’s effects. It occurred on one of the final shopping weekends before Christmas. Many retailers and restaurants were forced to close.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported a devastating drop in foot traffic. Foggy weather further kept shoppers away. The economic blow to small businesses was substantial.

Public transportation faced major delays. Parts of the rail system bypassed dark downtown stations. Waymo suspended its autonomous ride-hailing services for safety.

Mayor Daniel Lurie called it a “rough day” for the city. He coordinated the response from the emergency operations center. No injuries were linked to the substation fire.

The San Francisco blackout exposed the fragility of urban infrastructure during peak demand periods. Full restoration took crews hours of complex work in the foggy city.

Thought you’d like to know

What caused the San Francisco power outage?

The outage was caused by a fire at a PG&E electrical substation. The fire near 8th and Mission streets caused extensive damage. This triggered cascading failures across the city’s grid.

How many people lost power?

Approximately 130,000 PG&E customers lost electricity. This included both homes and businesses across San Francisco. The utility serves over 800,000 people in the city.

How long did the blackout last?

Power was restored to most customers within several hours. By early Sunday, about 110,000 had electricity again. Some 21,000 customers experienced longer outages.

Was public transportation affected?

Yes, transit was heavily disrupted. Train services bypassed some downtown stations. Bus routes were delayed due to darkened traffic signals and congestion.

Why was the outage’s timing so bad?

It happened on a key holiday shopping Saturday. Many retailers rely on this weekend for crucial revenue. Forced closures led to significant financial losses for businesses.

Are investigations into the cause ongoing?

Yes, officials are investigating the cause of the substation fire. PG&E and city authorities are reviewing the incident. The goal is to understand what sparked the initial blaze.