A widespread blackout has plunged 130,000 residences and commercial establishments in San Francisco into darkness, affecting nearly a third of the city.
The outage primarily impacted the northern regions of the city on Saturday, beginning with the Richmond and Presidio areas and extending to neighborhoods surrounding Golden Gate Park.
In response, social media and local news outlets reported numerous restaurant and shop closures, along with unlit streetlights and Christmas decorations.
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management announced on X that there were ‘significant transit disruptions’ throughout the city. They advised residents to limit travel to essential trips and to treat non-functioning traffic signals as four-way stops.
The city’s transit authorities reported that certain Muni bus and BART train stations were being bypassed due to the electrical outages.
A fire at a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) substation located at 8th and Mission streets was at least partly to blame for the blackout.
A massive outage has knocked out power to 130,000 homes and businesses across San Francisco, leaving at least a third of the city in darkness
The power failure left a large swath of the northern part of the city in the dark on Saturday, beginning with the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and areas around Golden Gate Park
A Waymo vehicle sits idling at an intersection with no operating traffic lights due to power outages, in San Francisco, California on Saturday
Ryan Sicat, store manager of Industry of All Nations, stands outside the store amid the major power outage impacting 30 percent of San Francisco
The outage represents roughly one-third of the PG&E’s customers in the city
The outage represents roughly one-third of the PG&E’s customers in the city.
PG&E posted on X around 4pm that it had stabilized the power grid and was not expecting additional customer outages.
The company said it was unable to confirm when power would be restored.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie urged people to stay off the roads in a post on social media.
‘We are still not clear when power will be restored to over 130,000 customers,’ Lurie wrote. ‘So what I am going to ask all of you to do is, if you do not need to go out tonight, stay home, be safe.’
PG&E did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the cause of the blackouts.
A view of traffic from above as more than 130,000 PG&E customers are without power in San Francisco
A pedestrian crosses an intersection lit with headlights amid the San Francisco power outage
A Waymo driverless car is unable to detect traffic lights after a major power outage in San Francisco, California on Saturday
Pedestrians walk in the dark on Hayes Street after a major power outage in San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie urged people to stay off the roads amid the power outage
Fog and power outages darken the skyline as traffic moves in dark San Francisco
Vehicles move slowly in traffic as power outages darken the San Francisco streets
Traffic at a standstill in all directions as traffic lights are out amid a San Francisco power outage
Officials are still not clear when power will be restored to over 130,000 customers
A pedestrian uses a flash light while crossing an intersection as outages darken the streets
A bicyclist drives past head lights from an oncoming vehicle during the San Francisco power outage on Saturday
A trio sits on a bench in the darkness as they celebrate a birthday amid the major power outage in San Francisco
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management said on X there were ‘significant transit disruptions’ happening citywide and urged residents to avoid nonessential travel and treat down traffic signals as four-way stops
The city’s transportation agencies said they were bypassing some Muni bus and BART train stations because of the power outages
The taillights from a vehicle are shown as power outages darken the streets in San Francisco
Miles Barrett, assistant designer at Industry of All Nations, reads Red Rising by Pierce Brown by candlelight during a power outage in San Francisco
PG&E posted on X around 4pm Saturday that it had stabilized the power grid and was not expecting additional customer outages
