Pacific Gas & Electric crews worked through the night to restore electricity to San Francisco after a large outage that at its peak affected about 130,000 customers, company officials said as service returned to most neighborhoods following repairs and safety inspections.

Scope and timeline of the outage

PG&E reported the outage began in the early afternoon and reached its peak roughly two hours later, with approximately 130,000 customers without power at the height of the incident, the utility said in a notice about its response to the San Francisco outage[1].

Company updates indicated crews stabilized the grid and began widespread restoration work; by late Saturday evening PG&E said about 95,000 customers had been restored and that teams were continuing to work to restore the remaining customers as safety inspections were completed[1].

Fire at Eighth and Mission substation

The outage was accompanied by an “extensive” substation fire at PG&E’s facility near Eighth and Mission streets, San Francisco Fire Department officials and local reporting said, prompting firefighters to respond after PG&E employees reported smoke inside the building and called 911[2].

Firefighters used specialized equipment to extinguish the blaze on the substation’s first floor, and SFFD later said the blaze was fully extinguished, allowing investigators and PG&E personnel to enter the building and begin assessing damage and determining a cause[2].

City response and transit impacts

San Francisco opened its emergency operations center to coordinate the response as outages spread across neighborhoods including the Presidio, Richmond, Hayes Valley, the Mission and Outer Sunset, according to local reporting[2].

Transit agencies reported disruptions: Muni and BART trains bypassed some downtown stations while service patterns were adjusted in affected areas, and city officials urged residents to exercise caution on roads and around downed power lines[2][1].

Restoration work and safety measures

PG&E said crews stabilized the system and were not expecting additional widespread outages after the peak, adding that restoration would continue as safety checks were completed and that customers could view outage information on the utility’s outage center or report issues via phone[1][3].

The company reminded residents that downed power lines should be treated as energized and dangerous, advising people to keep away and report such hazards to 911[1].

Communications and estimates

Some residents reported receiving automated messages from PG&E indicating no estimated time of restoration while crews assessed damage, while PG&E’s later updates and a company video indicated a target to restore most customers by the end of the night; by about 9 p.m. the utility had restored service to roughly 90,000 customers and expected the remainder to be restored overnight[2][1].

Investigation and next steps

With the substation fire extinguished, PG&E investigators and city fire officials were able to begin examining the site to determine cause and extent of damage, according to S.F. Chronicle reporting[2].

PG&E said it would continue to provide updates through its outage map and communications channels and work with first responders and city officials to ensure safety during the repair process[1][3].