San Francisco power outage continues for thousands still in the dark

San Francisco power outage continues for thousands still in the dark

Crews are still working torestore power to thousands of San Francisco residentsnearly two days aftera fire caused a widespread blackoutacross the city.

Nearly 4,000 people are still without power as of 9 a.m. local time, or 12 p.m. EST, according toPacific Gas & Electric's outage tracker.Similarly,USA TODAY's outage trackerhad about 5,000 customers without power as of 12 p.m. EST.

PG&E said it expects all service to be restored by 2 p.m. local time on Dec. 22. The majority of remaining outages are in the Richmond and Golden Gate Park areas.

At its peak, the outage affected about130,000 PG&E customersafter afire at a PG&E electric facilityon Dec. 20, officials said.

People observe an area affected by a blackout that hit about 130,000 residents, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 21, 2025. A person enters a building in the dark during a blackout that affected about 130,000 residents, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 21, 2025. People cross an intersection in the dark during a blackout that affected about 130,000 residents, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 21, 2025. A person uses a flashlight inside an apartment during a blackout that affected about 130,000 residents, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 21, 2025. A person enters a building in the dark during a blackout that affected about 130,000 residents, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 21, 2025. A person walks in the dark during a blackout that affected about 130,000 residents, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 21, 2025.

Fire at PG&E substation plunges San Francisco into darkness

Fire at PG&E facility believed to have caused outage

TheSan Francisco Fire Departmentsaid it responded to a fire at a PG&E electric facility, known as a substation, at 8th St. and Mission St. on Dec. 20.

PG&Esaid the outage was first reported around 10 a.m. local time on Dec. 20, and it became "significant" by 1 p.m. local time.

"The damage from the fire in our substation was significant and extensive and the repairs and safe restoration will be complex," the company said, adding that no one was injured in the fire.

A person walks in the dark during a blackout that affected about 130,000 residents, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 21, 2025.

Longtime San Franciscans may be having déjà vu; the same PG&E substation has apparently caused a major outage before.

In apost on X, San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey said that the same PG&E substation was involved in another major outage in 2003, when a fire at the facility also plunged the city into darkness the Saturday before Christmas.

"We recognize the impact of the outage, and we apologize for the disruption and frustration this has caused, especially during the holiday season,"PG&E also saidon its website.

More news:Christmas forecast warns of an onslaught of rain, snow on West Coast

Rec center open for residents without power

The Richmond Rec Center at 251 18th Ave. has been opened as a resource center for residents affected by the outage or those who simply want to charge their phone,Mayor Daniel Lurie said.

After being open until midnight on Dec. 21, the center will reopen at 9 a.m. local time on Dec. 22, Lurie said.

Lurie said workers at the center are "distributing supplies and resources for residents who need support."

Waymo service restored after outage

Waymo vehiclesappeared to be impacted by the power outage, according to social media videos.

Locals shared videos of the self-driving cars stopped in intersections, causing traffic jams throughout the city.

While service was temporarily interrupted, Waymo said in a statement sent to USA TODAY that the service returned late Dec. 21.

"While the failure of the utility infrastructure was significant, we are committed to ensuring our technology adjusts to traffic flow during such events," said Suzanne Philion, aWaymospokesperson. "We are focused on rapidly integrating the lessons learned from this event."

This story has been updated with new information.

Contributing: James Powel, USA TODAY

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached atmelina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:San Francisco power outage latest. See the status of Waymo, blackout.

 

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