San Francisco Power Restored After Massive Outage Disrupts City Center

Power has been restored to most of San Francisco after a major outage. The blackout struck on Saturday afternoon. It disrupted the city during a peak holiday shopping weekend.

People observe an area affected by a blackout that hit about 130,000 residents, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company in San Francisco, California, U.S., December 21, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

The outage impacted roughly 130,000 customers at its height. Service was largely restored by Sunday morning. According to Reuters, the cause was linked to a fire at a utility substation.

Widespread Disruption Hits Transit and Businesses

The failure caused significant problems across the city. Traffic lights went dark, creating hazardous driving conditions. Municipal authorities urged people to avoid non-essential travel.

Mass transit systems experienced major delays. The city’s emergency management department confirmed the disruptions. They advised treating every failed signal as a four-way stop.

Local businesses were forced to close. Restaurants and shops lost power on a crucial sales day. Social media posts showed darkened streets and holiday decorations.

Crews Investigate Substation Fire as Cause

Officials identified the root cause as a fire. The blaze broke out at a Pacific Gas & Electric substation. The incident location was at 8th and Mission streets.

Fire crews responded to the scene on Saturday afternoon. The utility company stabilized the electrical grid a few hours later. PG&E’s outage map showed steady progress through the night.

A full investigation into the fire’s origin is ongoing. The event highlighted the vulnerability of urban infrastructure. It caused one of the largest outages in recent city history.

The restoration of power concludes a disruptive 24-hour period for San Francisco residents and businesses. The swift response by utility crews mitigated longer-term effects. The investigation into the substation fire continues to prevent future massive outages.

Info at your fingertips

Q1: What caused the San Francisco power outage?

The outage was caused by a fire inside a PG&E electrical substation. The fire started at the 8th and Mission streets location. The exact ignition source remains under investigation.

Q2: How many people lost power?

Approximately 130,000 customers were affected at the peak of the outage. This represented about one-third of PG&E’s customers in the city. Most had power restored by Sunday morning.

Q3: What services were disrupted?

The outage caused major transit delays and darkened traffic signals. Waymo’s driverless car service was suspended. Many shops and restaurants had to close during a busy shopping day.

Q4: How long did the power outage last?

The bulk of the outage lasted from Saturday afternoon into early Sunday. Power was restored to most customers within a 24-hour period. Some localized outages persisted for a longer duration.

Q5: Was public safety at risk?

Authorities treated the event as a serious public safety concern. They issued warnings about travel and downed traffic signals. No major injuries were directly reported due to the blackout.