San Francisco, CA

San Francisco blackout: What we know

Published

2 months ago

December 22, 2025

A fire at a Pacific Gas & Electric substation in SoMa knocked out power to as many as 130,000 customers starting Saturday, leaving thousands in the dark heading into the holiday season and a week of intense storms. Here’s what we know about the outage and state of restoration.

What happened?

The fire began shortly before 1:10 p.m. Saturday at PG&E’s Mission substation at Eighth and Mission streets, initially affecting 40,000 customers. As firefighters worked to suppress the blaze, crews de-energized additional portions of the electric system for safety, causing outages to peak at approximately 130,000 customers.

The fire damaged critical equipment, including a circuit breaker — a safety switch designed to de-energize the system when problems are detected. Firefighters faced unusual complexities suppressing the fire in the multilevel building, including ventilating carbon monoxide before crews could safely enter.

When did power come back?

Firefighters made the building safe for PG&E crews to enter by 6:15 p.m. Saturday. Restoration efforts began immediately. Nearly 32,000 customers were reconnected by 8:45 p.m. Saturday, and about 100,000 — roughly 75% of those affected — were up by 9:30 p.m.

By noon Sunday, 90% of affected customers had power restored. PG&E initially projected full restoration by 2 p.m. Monday; however, a spokesperson said the utility was extending restoration times (opens in new tab) for the remaining 4,400 customers without power. No time frame has been announced.

A PG&E map Monday afternoon shows lingering outages in the Civic Center and SoMa neighborhoods, as well as scattered pockets in the Outer Sunset and Marina District. | Courtesy PG&E

What sparked the fire?

PG&E says it doesn’t know. COO Sumeet Singh said Monday that the extensive equipment damage makes it difficult to determine a root cause. The utility has hired Exponent, a Bay Area-based engineering firm, to conduct an independent investigation.

“We will determine what occurred to ensure it never happens again,” Singh said at a press conference outside the damaged substation.

Was the equipment properly maintained?

PG&E completed preventative maintenance at the Mission substation in October and conducted its most recent bimonthly inspection Dec. 5. Singh said neither inspection identified any problems.

A man wearing a PG&E hard hat and safety vest speaks at a microphone stand with various news outlet logos, while others in safety gear stand behind him. — PG&E COO Sumeet Singh offers an apology Monday outside the damaged substation at Eighth and Mission streets. | Source: George Kelly/The Standard

Why were the estimated restoration times wrong?

Many customers were irate as they were repeatedly given estimated restoration times that came and went. Singh acknowledged the failure and said PG&E’s estimation systems typically perform well, with more than 91% accuracy systemwide.

“It obviously did not work effectively in the circumstance over this weekend,” Singh said. “We are committed to understanding exactly what happened, why it happened, and owning the fixes.”

Were other substations damaged?

Residents have observed a large presence of workers at a substation at 24th Avenue and Balboa Street since Sunday, but the utility has not shared details on what is being done there.

Six hulking diesel generators, which one worker said cost $600,000 to operate daily, were parked outside the substation Monday afternoon. The generators are needed to feed power to the grid while both substations are not fully operational. Crews said they are expected to run for at least two to three days.

Two workers said the substation is undamaged and still online, but its output is diminished because it is fed power by the much larger substation at Eighth and Mission.

However, another said one of the substation’s transformers blew out after a power surge following the fire, and the generators are needed to compensate while workers “update the system” of the west-side substation.

How will customers be compensated?

PG&E plans to offer an expedited claims process for affected customers to seek compensation for losses, including spoiled food, lost business revenue, and hotel costs. Singh said details will be available soon on the utility’s website and through customer service.

He declined to specify compensation limits or provide immediate financial relief, saying customers would need to file claims that PG&E would process quickly. The utility opened a community resource center in the Richmond and partnered with 211 to provide hotel accommodations and food vouchers for vulnerable customers.

Could this happen again?

Singh said PG&E has identified no vulnerabilities at other substations and has made significant upgrades systemwide. Two strong storms forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday (opens in new tab) could bring 4 to 10 inches of rain to Northern California; he said more than 5,500 PG&E workers and contractors are positioned to respond.

The outage occurred 22 years to the day (opens in new tab) after a mass blackout at the same substation in 2003, raising questions about aging infrastructure that Singh did not directly address.

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San Francisco, CA

What Gonzaga coach Mark Few said after dominant win over San Francisco

Published

8 minutes ago

February 19, 2026

Press Room

What Gonzaga coach Mark Few said after dominant win over San Francisco

Gonzaga’s third and final time facing San Francisco inside the home of the Golden State Warriors played out similarly to their previous two meetings in the Bay Area.

For the third year in a row, the Bulldogs (26-2, 14-1 West Coast Conference) left the Chase Center with a decisive thanks in large part to Graham Ike, who finished Wednesday’s contest with a game-high 22 points to lead his team to an 80-59 victory over the Dons (15-14, 7-9 WCC).

A concerted group effort on the defensive end of the floor, holding San Francisco to 9-for-26 shooting in the second half, and contributions from Ike’s supporting cast also helped the Zags extend their win streak over San Francisco to 35 games. Mario Saint-Supéry had 14 points, six assists and four rebounds; Emmanuel Innocenti provided a necessary spark in the first half and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds; and Jalen Warley battled through a bruised thigh to chip in 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting.

Here’s what Mark Few had to say after the game.

On the balanced offensive attack

“It was good. It was very, very good and spread out. I thought Mario was really, really solid. He played heavy minutes tonight. I thought he did a really nice job. Six assists, one turnover, made shots and was pretty solid on the defensive end.”

On playing in the Bay Area, potentially playing games there in the future

“It’s a great stop on the circuit, and it’s a great city to hang out. I got some great friends here now with Steve [Kerr] and Steph, all these guys that I have some great experiences with.”

Feb 18, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; General view of the court before the start of the game between the San Francisco Dons and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Chase Center. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

“We’ll play some one-off games here, and we’ll be around for sure. NCAA Tournament games are coming very soon, there’s all of that. So I think we’ll be back in the Bay Area at some point.”

On Gonzaga’s win streak over San Francisco

“It’s unbelievable. Our guys deserve all the credit for being up and ready to go. We started a little slow today, but then we finally got cooking.”

Feb 18, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Dons guard Legend Smiley (13) and Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Emmanuel Innocenti (5) reach for the ball during the second half at Chase Center. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

“They’ve had some great teams and great coaches, and Chris does a really, really good job; does a lot of different things offensively, a lot of different things defensively that you don’t see. To be able to handle that throughout all these years, when [the streak] goes back to Kyle Smith and Todd Golden.”

On Emmanuel Innocenti’s play as of late

“He’s finding timely baskets off cuts and off smart spacing, and hitting some 3s, but also making plays. It’s helping us go from defense to offense. I thought he had several of them tonight.”

On Graham Ike’s shooting

“There’s a lot of traffic in the paint right now and a lot of different coverages are in there. So he’s stepping out and showing he can make those shots. And for the most part, most of them were pretty good shots. There at the end, he went back to kind of his bread and butter and got in there and got himself some shots around the basket.”

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

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San Francisco, CA

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Prediction, Odds for College Basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 18

Published

12 hours ago

February 18, 2026

Press Room

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Prediction, Odds for College Basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 18

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are in control of the West Coast Conference once again, boasting a 13-1 record with their only loss coming in an inexplicable loss to Portland.

They hit the road tonight to take on the San Francisco Dons, who are just 7-8 in conference play, and as you’d expect, Gonzaga is set as a heavy favorite. Let’s take a look.

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

Gonzaga -14.5 (-115)
San Francisco +14.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Gonzaga -1700
San Francisco +890

Total

OVER 148.5 (-110)
UNDER 148.5 (-110)

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, February 18
Game Time: 11:00 pm ET
Venue: The Sobrato Center
How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
Gonzaga Record: 25-2 (13-1 in WCC)
San Francisco Record: 15-13 (7-8 in WCC)

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Betting Trends

The UNDER is 7-2 in Gonzaga’s last nine games
Gonzaga has won 10 straight games against San Francisco
Gonzaga is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games played on a Wednesday
San Francisco is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games
The OVER is 5-1 in San Francisco’s alst six games

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Key Player to Watch

Tyon Grant-Foster, G – Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga’s two big men, Graham Ike and Braden Huff, are the two best players on this Bulldogs team, but Tyon Grant-Foster may be the most important tonight. San Francisco is primarily a three-point shooting team, so if Gonzaga wants to win comfortably, it needs to find a way to defend the perimeter. That’s where Grant-Foster comes in. He’s averaging 1.1 blocks per game, so that level of defensive play will need to hold up tonight.

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Prediction and Pick

It’s a brave call to make, but I’m going to take the points with San Francisco on its home court. I think San Francisco’s style of play matches up well with Gonzaga. The Dons likely won’t win, but they can do enough to cover this big spread.

Gonzaga allows teams to shoot 30.9% from beyond the arc. That mark has gotten worse lately, up to 36.4% over its last three games. Now, they take on a San Francisco team that’s 47th in the country in 3-point shot rate, with 45.7% of their shots coming from beyond the arc.

Defensively, San Francisco can slow down Gonzaga’s front court. They rank 95th in opponent two-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 49.7% from two-point range.

Let’s also remember the last time these two teams played this season, Gonzaga escaped with a narrow 68-66 win. Now, with the Dons hosting the Bulldogs, we could be in for another close one.

Pick: San Francisco +14.5 (-105)

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San Francisco, CA

San Francisco mayor advances legislation for new sobering center in SoMA neighborhood

Published

1 day ago

February 18, 2026

Press Room

San Francisco mayor advances legislation for new sobering center in SoMA neighborhood

SF Mayor Lurie advances new sober center

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed new legislation on Tuesday advancing a program aimed at getting people addicted to drugs off the streets and connected to treatment. This legislation authorizes the sheriffs office to contract with an LLC to operate the so-called RESET center.

SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie on Tuesday signed new legislation, advancing a program aimed at getting drug users off the streets and connecting them to treatment.

A new sobering center in SF

What we know:

The legislation authorizes the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office to contract with Connections California LLC to operate the city’s new Rapid Enforcement, Support, Evaluation and Triage or RESET center.

The center will open this spring at 444 Sixth Street in the city’s South of Market neighborhood and will act as an alternative to jail or hospitalization for individuals with substance use disorders and who are arrested for public intoxication.

RESET will provide more mental health and substance-use treatment services than what nurses in the jails are able to provide, according to the mayor’s office.

Connections Health Solutions, a crisis care company, will provide care at the facility and connect those brought in to appropriate treatments. The facility will be overseen by the Sheriff’s Office and the city’s Department of Public Health. Connections has facilities in at least five states, including Arizona and Washington, according to their website.

RESET is part of Lurie’s “Breaking the Cycle” initiative to tackle the city’s homelessness and behavioral health crisis. A 24/7 crisis stabilization center and three recovery-focused interim housing programs were launched in San Francisco in 2025 as part of this initiative.

After signing the legislation, Lurie posted to social media to say, “For too long, San Franciscans have been told that we must choose between clean, safe neighborhoods and compassion for those struggling on our streets.” Lurie added that he ran for mayor because, “I believed we can – and should – do both,” and that the city doen’t have to choose between compassion and accountability.

He also offered a stern warning to those who use drugs openly in San Francisco’s public spaces. “The RESET Center allows our officers to arrest those engaged in public drug use at a speed and volume we have never seen before. If you use drugs on our streets, we will arrest you.”

He said this new approach offers a chance at recovery.

“The RESET Center is a health-focused facility designed to care for publicly intoxicated individuals by moving them off the streets and into a safe and controlled environment,” Lurie said.

San FranciscoDaniel LurieOpioid EpidemicNewsCrime and Public Safety

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