A significant power outage in San Francisco affected over 130,000 customers on Saturday, primarily due to issues with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The initial outage was reported around 9:40 a.m. in the Inner Sunset area, impacting nearly 15,000 customers. Shortly after, additional outages were reported around 10:10 a.m., affecting areas including Richmond, Presidio, and parts of Golden Gate Park, as well as sections of downtown, which compounded the overall impact.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system announced that services would not be operational at Powell Street, Civic Center, and Van Ness stations as a result of the outage. Footage shared with local news station KTVU exhibited darkened BART stations, with escalators and toll gates rendered inoperable.
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management indicated that the outage would likely affect traffic lights throughout the impacted areas, further complicating the situation for commuters and residents alike. By approximately 4:15 p.m., PG&E’s outage map indicated that around 125,000 customers were without power, representing over 30% of the company’s customer base in the city.
San Francisco Fire Department Lieutenant Mariano Elias, speaking to KTVU, suggested that the outages may have been related to a fire reported at a PG&E substation located at Eighth and Mission streets shortly after 2 p.m. Firefighters were called to the scene by PG&E employees who had noticed the fire. They evacuated the substation and cut power to the building, allowing firefighters to control the blaze. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries or evacuations, although crews were focused on ventilating the facility to clear smoke that had built up inside.
PG&E stated that power was anticipated to be restored in some areas by approximately 3:45 p.m., but it remained unclear when full restoration would occur across all affected regions. Edgar Hopida, a Public Relations Coordinator for PG&E, addressed the situation, noting that while the utility could not confirm specific restoration times listed on their website, crews had stabilized the grid and were not expecting additional outages.
As the situation continues to develop, officials and PG&E work to restore power and provide necessary updates. Residents are encouraged to stay tuned for further information from local news outlets.
