Massive power outage leaves 130,000 homes in San Francisco in the dark

A widespread power outage left approximately 130,000 homes and businesses without electricity across San Francisco on December 20 afternoon, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) confirmed. 

The blackout, affecting roughly one-third of PG&E’s local customer base, is one of the largest the city has seen in recent years, Caliber.Az reports via Newsweek.

The outage struck during the holiday season, darkening Christmas decorations and forcing closures of restaurants, shops, and other businesses in affected neighbourhoods. The disruption significantly impacted daily life and commercial activity in the city’s typically busy shopping areas.

Northern San Francisco was hardest hit, including the Richmond and Presidio neighbourhoods and areas surrounding Golden Gate Park. Fire officials reported that a fire at a PG&E substation at 8th and Mission streets, around 3:15 p.m. local time, contributed to some of the outages.

The power failure began in the early afternoon and quickly spread across the northern parts of the city. The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management warned of major transit disruptions and urged residents to avoid nonessential travel. Drivers were advised to treat darkened traffic signals as four-way stops due to the widespread nature of the outage.

By Khagan Isayev