San Francisco faced a significant infrastructure breakdown over the weekend when a widespread power outage left large sections of the city without electricity. The blackout began Saturday morning and impacted neighborhoods from the Presidio and Richmond to Sunset and Downtown.
The incident occurred during one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year, just days before Christmas, throwing traffic systems, public services, and businesses into disarray. While power has since been largely restored, questions remain about the exact cause and the city’s ability to respond to future outages.
Widespread Disruptions From Early Morning to Late Evening
According to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), the outage began around 9:40 a.m. Saturday and eventually affected approximately 130,000 customers—nearly 30% of San Francisco. The hardest-hit areas included the Richmond, Sunset, Presidio, Golden Gate Park, and parts of Downtown.
By 3 p.m., PG&E’s outage map showed that a substantial portion of the city was without power. The San Francisco Fire Department later confirmed it was responding to a one-alarm fire at a PG&E substation at 8th and Mission Streets, where carbon dioxide was used to suppress the blaze. The fire is being investigated as a contributing factor, though the utility has not yet confirmed the root cause of the blackout.
“I’m comfortable saying it’s a contributing factor… but I don’t know if that’s the entire reason,” said Lt. Mariano Elias of the fire department, according to local reports. By 10 p.m., PG&E had restored power to around 100,000 customers, with the remaining households expected to regain service overnight. The utility stated on X that the power grid had been stabilized and that no further customer outages were anticipated.
Transit Halted, Waymo Vehicles Stall, and Businesses Shutter
The outage had immediate ripple effects across transportation networks and public safety systems. According to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), service at Powell Street and Civic Center stations was suspended for several hours, causing delays throughout the network. Muni Metro and the Central Subway also ceased operations, resuming only late Saturday evening.
Self-driving vehicles operated by Waymo stalled in the middle of intersections as traffic lights went dark. The company confirmed that it had temporarily suspended ride-hailing services in San Francisco. Videos shared on social media showed Waymo cars frozen at junctions with hazard lights blinking, including incidents where passengers were reportedly stuck inside.
Waymo spokesperson Suzanne Philion said the suspension aimed to prioritize “keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work.”
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management issued several safety advisories, urging residents to treat dark intersections as four-way stops, avoid nonessential travel, and refrain from using gas-powered stoves or generators indoors. City officials warned of an elevated carbon monoxide risk during prolonged outages.
Restaurants and businesses across affected neighborhoods closed for the day, and Christmas decorations remained unlit, casting a dim tone on what is usually one of the most active weekends of the holiday season. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie urged residents to remain indoors if possible, citing poor weather conditions and ongoing restoration efforts. “If you don’t need to travel tonight, please stay off the roads and stay inside,” he posted on X.
City officials say the response went as smoothly as possible under the circumstances, though the event has highlighted vulnerabilities in San Francisco’s aging power infrastructure. Investigations into the cause of the substation fire and overall outage response are expected to follow in the coming days.
