Massive Blackout Hits San Francisco
Hmmm... why isn't there any major looting during the San Francisco #poweroutage like the looting that occurred in NY in 2003?
— Third Position (@Third_Position) April 21, 2017
Oh... right. pic.twitter.com/9Z5owLyInd
Power is out in a huge area of San Francisco. If this is the apocalypse it's starting on such a lovely day! pic.twitter.com/TvbWqUe8jt
— Olivia Grace (@oliviadgrace) April 21, 2017
A massive blackout likely caused by a fire at a PG&E substation swept through San Francisco on Friday, darkening homes and businesses for hours, shutting down a subway station and all the cable cars, and knocking out streetlights across a wide swath of the city.
The power outage, which at its height affected 88,000 customers, struck just after 9 a.m. when a fire erupted at a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. depot at Larkin and Eddy streets.
A catastrophic failure of a circuit breaker ignited insulation, causing a fire and explosion, said Barry Anderson, a PG&E vice president. The substation was already scheduled for an overhaul, he said, which is expected to be completed by the fall of 2018.
A large power outage leaves over 90,000 customers without power in San Francisco on April 21, 2017.
The outage was “from old equipment,” Anderson said. “The equipment failed before we could get to the upgrade.”
Mayor Ed Lee said no major injuries or traffic collisions were caused by the outage. Hospitals in the blackout areas were operating on backup power, with surgeries and other procedures continuing without issue, he said.
By 2 p.m., the utility had restored power to 23,000 customers and hoped to have the power back on for everyone by 5 p.m.
The San Francisco Fire Department responded to more than 100 calls for service in the Financial District and beyond, including 20 elevators with people stuck inside, but reported no injuries. Everywhere, sirens blared as engines maneuvered along streets jammed with traffic.
About 300 traffic lights were out — about a quarter of those across the city — and as a result cars backed up on downtown streets as drivers stewed and honked at each other. More than 100 parking control officers as well as police officers were deployed to control traffic through intersections.
BART’s Montgomery Station was closed for more than two hours, with trains running through the station without stopping, before the agency reopened by using generators just after 11:30 a.m. Still, elevators and escalators weren’t working.
All cable cars were down, as were several Muni bus lines that typically run on electricity from overhead wires, including the 30, 45, 22, and 24. Shuttles were put in place to provide service, according to the Municipal Transportation Agency.
Muni trains, however, were still running both underground and above ground, though delays were expected due to the extensive problems with traffic lights. The subway stop at Montgomery Street was closed, with Muni trains — like BART trains — running through without stopping.
Nineteen schools in San Francisco were struck by the outage, including Spring Valley Science School, Sutro Elementary, Civic Center Secondary School, Alamo Elementary, Galileo Academy of Science and Technology and Cobb Elementary.
The district “continues to monitor the situation,” said spokeswoman Gentle Blythe. “School site power outages are currently affecting utilities, including Internet. Student and staff safety is our priority. All schools remain open and are adjusting their instruction as needed. Families will be notified if something changes at their child’s school.”
The Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse at 450 Golden Gate Ave. was among the many buildings closed down by the outage.
Firefighters reported that the substation fire was extinguished at 11 a.m. All PG&E employees who work at the site were safe, said utility spokesman Paul Doherty.
“The safety of our customers is our top concern, so we’re working as quickly and as safely as possible to restore power,” he said.
Daisy Prado, a 23-year-old South Bay resident, said she was sitting at her desk on the 14th floor of an office building on the 200 block of Montgomery Street in the Financial District when the power suddenly dropped out. She looked out the window and saw the buildings across the street go dark.
“They told us on an intercom to just stay calm,” Prado said. “People are hanging out the side of their buildings waiting to see what’s going to happen.”
