Massive San Francisco Outage Leaves About 130,000 Without Power, Crews Work Through Night

A major power outage struck San Francisco on December 20, 2025, leaving roughly 130,000 PG&E customers without electricity at the outage's peak. The disruption began in the morning and expanded through the afternoon, and city and utility officials tied much of the large-scale interruption to a fire inside a PG&E substation near 8th and Mission Streets. Crews worked through the night to restore service, with utilities reporting tens of thousands of customers brought back online by late evening, and several neighborhoods remaining in the dark into the next morning.

What happened, and where

Officials say the event unfolded in two phases, with scattered outages reported across the city starting in the morning, and a more widespread loss of power after a fire at a downtown PG&E substation in the afternoon. At the peak of the incident, about 30 percent of PG&E customers in San Francisco were affected, with the utility's outage map showing outages across a broad swath of the city, including the Richmond, Sunset, Haight Ashbury, Hayes Valley, parts of downtown, Golden Gate Park, and the Presidio.

The San Francisco Fire Department responded to the substation fire, and crews extinguished the blaze inside the building before PG&E crews entered to assess equipment and begin repairs. No injuries were reported in relation to the fire or the outage, according to public statements.

Timeline

Morning to early afternoon

• Initial scattered outages were reported in the morning, affecting hundreds to thousands of customers in different pockets of the city.

Mid afternoon, substation fire reported

• Fire responders were called to a PG&E substation near 8th and Mission Streets, and the subsequent fire containment appears to have been a central factor in the more extensive outages that followed.

Evening and overnight restoration

• Utility crews reported restoring service to a large share of customers during the evening, with roughly 95,000 restored by late night. Tens of thousands were still without power overnight as crews completed safety inspections and phased re-energizing of circuits.

Who was affected

A wide range of residents and businesses experienced the outage. Impacted areas included residential neighborhoods and major city parks, along with commercial corridors and transit hubs. Effects reported across the city included:

• Darkened traffic signals and holiday lights
• Delayed or altered transit service on city rail and bus lines
• Temporary closures of shops and restaurants
• Localized business losses during one of the busiest holiday shopping weekends

"Prepare that this is going to go well into the early morning hours," said the mayor, urging residents to stay home when possible and to exercise caution at intersections where traffic controls were not functioning.

Response, restoration, and investigation

PG&E mobilized repair crews and safety teams to inspect damaged equipment and to re-energize circuits in a controlled way. The utility emphasized that safety inspections must be completed before full restoration continues, to avoid further damage or risk to crews.

City departments, including the Department of Emergency Management and the fire department, coordinated on traffic safety and public messaging. Officials repeatedly advised residents to treat darkened intersections as four-way stops, to avoid nonessential travel, and to call 9-1-1 only for life-threatening emergencies.

Investigations into the precise sequence of equipment failures and the role of the substation fire are ongoing. Utilities and city investigators will examine damage to transformers, switches, and protective relays, and will review procedures that govern how circuits are isolated and restored after an internal fire.

Impact on transit and businesses

Public transit and private mobility services reported disruptions. Rail and bus routes bypassed some stops and schedules were adjusted to account for signal failures and reduced service on affected lines. Several businesses on major retail corridors closed early or paused service during the outage, and local merchants said lost sales could be significant given the proximity to major holiday shopping days.

Businesses with essential refrigeration, medical equipment, or continuous operations reported particular vulnerability. Some turned to backup generators or temporary relocation to keep perishable inventory and operations intact.

Practical advice for residents during outages

• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, to preserve food safety for as long as possible.
• Turn off major appliances, and unplug sensitive electronics where practical, to limit surge risks when power returns.
• Use flashlights and battery lanterns rather than candles, where possible, to reduce fire risk.
• Treat dark intersections as four-way stops, and expect traffic backups.
• Check official city and utility communication channels for real time updates, and call 9-1-1 only for life threatening emergencies.

Short technical checklist

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1) Locate circuit breaker panel, label critical circuits
2) Turn off heavy loads, leave one light on as power return indicator
3) Use a portable generator only outside and properly grounded
4) Keep refrigerator closed, temp will remain safe for hours if unopened
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Multiple viewpoints

• City officials framed the outage as an emergency that required coordinated response, emphasizing public safety and traffic management.
• PG&E described the operation as a major unplanned outage and prioritized safety inspections before full restoration, while crews worked to re-energize lines in phases.
• Business owners and merchants reported lost sales and disruption during a critical holiday weekend, with some stressing the need for more predictable backup solutions.
• Residents described a mix of frustration and resilience, noting both the inconvenience of darkened streets and the rapid mobilization of utility crews.

Context and what this means going forward

San Francisco has experienced intermittent outages in recent years, raising questions about grid resilience, aging infrastructure, and the pace of upgrades needed to meet growing demand and modern safety standards. Utilities face competing pressures to harden equipment, accelerate maintenance schedules, and invest in more distributed and resilient technologies, including microgrids and neighborhood-scale backup systems.

Policy makers and regulators will likely press for a thorough review of cause and response, and for clear timelines on equipment repairs and upgrades. For many residents and businesses, this outage underscores the practical importance of household emergency plans, business continuity measures, and community-level preparedness.

Conclusion

The December 20, 2025 outage was one of the largest recent disruptions in San Francisco, and it highlighted the citys dependence on a complex urban electrical network. While crews restored power to most customers overnight, the event put a spotlight on infrastructure vulnerabilities, and it prompted renewed calls from officials, businesses, and residents for investments in grid reliability, emergency planning, and faster restoration capabilities.

If you were affected, check official city and utility channels for the latest restoration notices, follow safety guidance about food and electrical equipment, and consider basic preparedness steps so you are ready for future unplanned outages.